This post is also available in: Bosnian
As he continues his testimony at the trial of Radovan Karadzic, the former chief of police in Hadzici says he saw “paramilitary formations”, whose members committed crimes against the Muslim population in 1992.
Tihomir Glavas, former Chief of the Public Safety Station in Hadzici and member of the Crisis Committee of that municipality, said he entered into conflict with various “paramilitary groups and formations”, whose members committed crimes against the Muslim population in Hadzici and Ilidza municipalities in the spring of 1992.
“Paramilitary groups used to come to the places in which Bosniaks were detained and mistreated them. When I was informed that members of the ‘Beli orlovi’ group were planning to mistreat people in a garage next to the Hadzici municipality building, I took my policemen with me and entered into conflict with them.
“They said they would take those people out and mistreat them, but I told them not to do it. We even pulled our guns out and pointed them towards each other. Eventually, they got scared and left,” said Glavas, who testified on February 14 and 15 this year as well.
The witness said that paramilitary formations were never subordinated to the Republika Srpska, RS, police or Army, adding that municipal authorities always “opposed those groups”.
Radovan Karadzic is charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as participation in a joint criminal enterprise, in collaboration with members of the Bosnian Serb army and police and paramilitary and voluntary units, which resulted in persecution, extermination and murders committed on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The indictment alleges that Karadzic, former President of RS and supreme Commander of its armed forces, participated in crimes against Bosnian Muslims and Croats in 20 Bosnian municipalities, including Ilidza and Hadzici.
Responding to Karadzic’s questions during the course of cross-examination, Glavas said that the local municipal authorities in Hadzici and Ilidza “did not receive any support” from the central Republika Srpska government during the course of the first half of 1992, adding that this led to “a state of chaos”.
“In the mentioned period of time, the republic organisation was not active in Hadzici. I cannot believe that someone can think that there was such an organisation and that it functioned from the top to our local level.
“I do not deny that the Serbian Democratic Party, SDS was extremely well organised and had an infrastructure, but when the conflict broke out, there was no communication or organisation. Local councils were left to the people,” Glavas said.
The indictment alleges that Karadzic was one of the founders and president of the SDS.
The witness said that “the state of fear and chaos” led to the recruitment of “persons whose moral qualities were questionable” for police structures in Hadzici and Ilidza municipalities at the beginning of 1992.
“At the beginning of the war, the police was weak, so it applied poor recruiting criteria. In that period some engrained criminals joined it, so we had to clean the forces in the second half of 1992 or else we would not have been able to carry out our services. Later on, any policeman who had committed a crime was excluded from the service,” Glavas explained.
The Trial chamber also rendered a decision today that the trial will be postponed for a six-week period between March 21st and May 5th, in order for the accused to have enough time to review evidence which the Hague prosecution delivered to him at the beginning of the year.
The next hearing is due to take place on Thursday, February 17, when two new Prosecution witnesses will be examined.
D.Dž.
