Ivanovic: Moaning in Hangar

Nikolic testified for the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the trial of Zeljko Ivanovic, who is charged with genocide committed in Srebrenica. In July 1995 Nikolic was looking after cattle in Kravica, as a member of the Civil Protection Unit working squad.

He said he drove cattle into a barn inside the Kravica Cooperative complex on St. Peter’s Day, July 12, 1995. He said his colleagues told him “somebody came out from the mass of people”, took away a rifle from a soldier and killed one of the soldiers.

“Then they started bashing the captured Muslims, who had previously surrendered,” the witness said, explaining that by “bashing” he meant shooting at the detainees. He said: “I could hear moaning coming from the hangar. Somebody asked for water.”

The Prosecution charges Ivanovic, a former member of the Second Squad with the Special Police Unit from Sekovici, with having participated in the murder of more than 1,000 men in the Kravica Cooperative hangars on July 13, 1995.

Nikolic said that, prior to the shooting, he took some water to the detainees in the hangar, adding that he saw some people inside but he could not say how many there were. He said that, during the night, a soldier ordered him to stand guard at the Cooperative gate. However, he said he spent most of the time in the barn.

“I looked after cattle in the barn. Shooting could be heard all over the place. I stayed there the whole night. Our task was to take care of ourselves and the cattle. The following day a mechanical digger came and drove them away. It collected the corpses and loaded them onto a truck. Later on, a water truck came and washed something in the hangar, but I do not know what and whether there was blood…” the witness said.

Nikolic said he did not know the indictee, adding that he had never seen him in his life.

The trial is due to continue on October 29, when the Prosecution will examine one more witness.