Macic: A Horrible Scene

Witnesses Janko Glogovac and Bosko Gligorevic told the Court that they were taken from Bradina village, near Konjic, to Celebici, a former military building in May 1992, adding that they were detained in Celebici together with about 200 Serbs.

“At the beginning of June, five of us were taken out in order to take care of our needs. We saw two men approach and say: ‘We shall f… their mothers’. Esad Macic was one of them. I did not know the other man. When they came to the warehouse door, they asked Milorad Kuljanin to come out. Eso called his name out,” Glogovac said.

The witness said that the men forced Kuljanin to roll about in a container where they had gone to toilet. Macic then ordered him to get up and fired a burst of bullets at him, the witness said.

“It was a horrible scene. He was facing him and he fired a burst of bullets at his chest and then at his neck and face… The image of his brain and scull bursting into pieces,” said Glogovac, who said he was the killed young man’s schoolteacher.

The indictment charges Macic, former member of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with having participated in the murder of two Serb civilians in Celebici detention camp in 1992 and causing severe injuries to detained civilians and prisoners of war in the Musala sports hall in Konjic.

Glogovac said that guards took five of them out three times after the incident and told them not to speak about what happened, but said that the killed man tried to take a guard’s gun and the gun fired while they were fighting with each other.

The witness said that Zeljko Cecez, who was among the people who were taken out, was killed on the following morning.

Glogovac and Gligorevic recognised Macic in the courtroom and said that he physically abused them, adding that this was a normal occurrence in Celebici.

“I used to see Eso Macic when he was on duty. He behaved in a violent, or rather criminal manner. Whenever he was on duty, he would beat someone up,” Gligorevic said, adding that Macic used to come to Musala as well and beat detainees.

Responding to questions posed by the Defence, which denies that the indictee committed the murder, Gligorevic confirmed that Hazim Delic or Esad Landzo were almost always present when detainees were taken out to be beaten up.

The Hague Tribunal sentenced Hazim Delic, former Manager of Celebici detention camp, to 18 years in prison and Esad Landzo, former guard, to 15 years.

The trial is due to continue on April 5.

M.T.