Selimovic et al: Recording of Prisoner Exchange

A former member of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS says that indictee Mehura Selimovic treated him in a correct manner while he was detained in the “Luke” prison in Bihac.

Testifying in defence of indictee Selimovic, Svetko Kukolj, former member of the VRS Second Krajina Corps, said that he was captured, together with another soldier, in the vicinity of Bihac in mid-May 1995.
 
Kukolj claims to have been detained in an isolation cell in “Park” hotel for two or three days before being transferred to “Luke” prison in Bihac, where indictee Selimovic examined him.
 
“I gave only one statement. It was a written one, containing answers to his questions. He used to call me later on, but only to have a coffee or cigarette with me… We would talk about the usual things. He treated me in a correct manner,” Kukolj said, adding that he was exchanged in June 1995.
 
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Selimovic, Adil Ruznic and Emir Mustafic with having assisted in the detention of members of the Republika Srpska Army and police and civilians in detention centres in Bihac, Cazin and Bosanski Petrovac from 1994 to 1996.
 
The indictment alleges that Selimovic was Counter-intelligence Officer and Deputy Chief of the Military Security Section with the Fifth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, Ruznic was Assistant Commander for Security Affairs and Mustafic was a military policeman.
 
Responding to questions related to living conditions in “Luke” prison, Kukolj said that detainees used to have two meals per day, a weekly bath and medical assistance.
 
The Defence of Selimovic showed a recording of a conversation between journalists and detainees in “Luke” prison made in June 1995, in the courtroom. The detainees thanked the prison staff for “treating them in a humane and correct manner”.
 
However, second Defence witness Drasko Djervida said that, prior to being exchanged, the detainees agreed on giving such statements for the sake of “those who would stay in detention”.
 
“We knew that, after some soldiers, who had been exchanged earlier, gave ‘negative’ comments about the living conditions in the prison, those who stayed were beaten up,” Djervida said. He previously testified for the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
Djervida said that he stood by his earlier statement that he lost more than 30 kilogrammes during the course of his nine-month detention.
 
Mile Medjed, former Chief of a section with the State Security Department in Prijedor, testified as third Defence witness. He said that he conducted an informal interview with Vojislav Kondic, former prisoner in “Luke” prison, in 1995.
 
“Although the document contains my signature, I do not know who conducted the interview with Kondic. During an informal conversation we had before, Kondic told me that he was detained in Luke prison, adding that he was not beaten up,” Medjed said.
 
The next hearing is due to be held on Wednesday, July 13, 2011.