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About ten soldiers were present when people were lined up. After having separated us, four or five of those soldiers had already prepared for shooting at the prisoners,” said Dragan Drljo, who was 13 years old in 1993.
Drljo began testifying on July 1, 2011, when he said that his brother Ivan, former member of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, and uncle Franjo Drljo were among the prisoners, who had been lined up and shot.
At that hearing the witness said that he was among those who were lined against the wall, but a soldier moved him from there and told him to join women and children, who were standing aside.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges the murder of 18 civilians and four members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO committed in Trusina village on April 16, 1993 upon Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Senad Hakalovic, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago.
The indictment alleges that Memic, Salcin and Hodzic, former members of “Zulfikar” Special Squad, and Hakalovic, former member of “Neretvica” 45th Mountain Brigade, participated in an attack on Trusina and the murder of civilians and prisoners of war, while Bojadzic, the then Deputy Commander of “Zulfikar” Squad, commanded the attack.
Indictee Alispago, former Commander of that Squad, is charged with having failed to punish the soldiers who participated in the shooting.
During the course of cross-examination Sead Hodzic, Defence attorney of indictee Alispago, asked the witness if he maintained his statement given to the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2008, when he said that he saw a few members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina from that area, an unknown woman and “Zaim’s son” among the soldiers who had committed the shooting in Trusina. The witness answered affirmatively.
When asked by the Trial Chamber if he referred to indictee Senad Hakalovic when he mentioned “Zaim’s son”, Drljo said that he did not see him in Trusina on that occasion.
Witness Drljo said that he was among the civilians who were exchanged after the occupation of Trusina.
The trial is due to continue on July 18 this year.
