Koricanske stijene: Murderers’ Names Kept Secret

Knezevic said that members of the Interventions Squad escorted a convoy leaving Prijedor on August 21, 1992. The indictment alleges that about 200 men were then separated from other convoy passengers and killed at Koricanske stijene.

“I found out about the convoy when I came to work in the morning. The late Miroslav Paras, Commander of the Interventions Squad, informed us that a big convoy would leave the town, telling us to stay close.

“As per his orders, I took a yellow minivan and transported members of the unit to Tukovi in two or three groups. I took one group to Trnopolje and went back to the Police Station. I left the mini van there and returned home,” Knezevic said.

The State Prosecution charges Knezevic, Sasa Zecevic, Marinko Ljepoja, Petar Civcic and Branko Topola with having participated in escorting a convoy of more than 1,000 civilians travelling from Prijedor to Travnik on August 21, 1992. The indictees allegedly took part in separating and murdering about 200 men at Koricanske stijene on Mount Vlasic.

The indictment alleges that Civcic was Commander of the First Unit with the Interventions Squad of the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, Zecevic, Ljepoja and Knezevic were members of the Squad and Topola was member of the Territorial Defence.

Knezevic said that on the day after August 21, he had a day off, which he spent at the house of his then girlfriend’s parents.

“One day later I went back to work. I heard that some men who were in the convoy were killed. We were told that someone would have to be tried for that,” Knezevic said, adding that he then went to a battlefield in Han-Pijesak.

When asked by the Trial Chamber if members of the Interventions Squad said who had killed those people at Koricanske stijene, Knezevic said that “the information was kept secret”.

Responding to questions posed by the Defence of indictee Ljepoja, Knezevic said that while they were at the battlefield in Han-Pijesak, Ljepoja told him that he had escorted the convoy but he did not participate in the murders because his bus broke on the road.

Knezevic said that indictee Civcic was not among the Squad members, whom he transported to Tukovi.

“I did not see him when I came back to the Police Station. I saw him in the morning, when we were told that there was going to be a convoy. I invited him to come to my place, but he said he could not come, because he was going to visit his family in Kupres,” Knezevic said. His Defence completed the presentation of evidence with his testimony.

The trial is due to continue on Thursday, May 26, when the Defence of indictee Civcic will examine three witnesses.