Local Justice – Tanasic and Boroja: Identification of Indictees

Witness Ranko Djukaric, former inspector with the Safety Services Centre in Banja Luka, said that he saw Muharem Somic, who had visible injuries all over his body, when policemen took an official statement from him in September 1995.“Muharem came to the police station. I told policemen to make an official report on what had happened. In their report they mentioned a VW Golf 2. When I checked the license plates, I found that the car belonged to the police station in Donji Vakuf and it was used by Sekula Sisic, Tanasic and Boroja,” Djukaric said.

The Banja Luka Prosecution charges Tanasic and Boroja with the murder of Nazifa Somic and attempted murder of her son Muharem. The indictment alleges that the two indictees came to Somic’s house in Obilicevo, Banja Luka and forcibly took the mother and son out of the house.

It further alleges that they beat Muharem and drove him to Vrbanja, Banja Luka, where they dumped him out of the car, thinking he was dead. The Banja Luka Prosecution alleges that they drove his mother away and killed her. Her body was found in River Vrbas canyon in Tijesno village, near Banja Luka on July 25, 1996.

Djukaric told the Court that Muharem was taken to the identification room, where he recognised Tanasic and Boroja among the potential attackers.

“We brought six people into the identification room. The indictees and four other people of similar age and looks were there. Somic immediately recognised Tanasic and Boroja, saying they attacked him. When I showed them to him again, but this time with changed numbers, he recognised them again,” Djukaric said.

The findings and opinion prepared by Zeljko Karan, medical expert, were presented at this hearing. Karan found two bodies, which were badly decomposed, in River Vrbas basin in July 1996.

“The bodies were badly decomposed. One of the bodies had a broken hip and injuries on the nape, which had been made earlier. After having examined them, I determined that the person was more than 70 years old. The person’s ribs were broken. I determined that the corpses had been there for a few months,” Karan said, adding that he could not say what the cause of death was or how the ribs were broken.

Karan said that he determined later on that one of the bodies belonged to Nazifa Somic.

“A kerchief was found underneath the armpit. Some jewelry and probably a 200 German Marks banknote, which was severely damaged, were wrapped in it,” Karan said.

Simo Miskic, Commander of the Police Station in Budzak, Banja Luka, testified as the third Prosecution witness. He said that no refugee centres existed in that settlement in 1995.

“Bosniaks and Croats only gathered in Budzak in 1992. They stayed within the auto-moto club complex for a couple of days before the went to Croatia by bus. They were guarded by police,” Miskic said.G.O.—————————————————————————————————————
This text was written as part of a project supported by US citizens through USAID in Bosnia and Herzegovina. BIRN is fully responsible for the content of the text, which does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, or the US Government.