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At the trial for crimes in Konjic, the witness for the State Prosecution stated how the guards in the “Celebici” camp during 1992, together with the accused Eso Macic, were beating camp prisoners.
Velibor Mrkajic during the trial remembered how, by the end of May 1992, he was arrested in Repovci village near Konjic together with his uncle, after which they were brought to the “Celebici” camp where he saw indictie Macic in the role of the camp guard. He also recognised him in the court room.
A couple of days after arrival to the camp, according to Macic’s words, he was beaten up by the guards.
“I was in the second group. They sent us to walk through a two side cordon of guards. One by one we went through before entering the gap. I was hit by every guard. I am sure that Eso Macic was hitting too. We spend the night in that hole”, stated witness.
The State Prosecution holds responsible Eso Macic, a former member of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH) for war crimes against the civilian population and prisoners of war in the “Celebici” camp and in the “Musala” sports hall in Konjic.
As stated in the indictment, in June 1992, Macic together with unidentified camp guards brutally beat an older Serb civilian who died because of this beating.
In the continuation of the testimony, Mrkajic stated how he was in the summer of 1992 beaten up after the visit of the Red Cross in a hangar called “nine” where he was at the time lodged.
They started to beat us while the Red Cross delegation was in hangar “six”. They were beating us to prove to us that even the Red Cross cannot help us. We were sitting by the wall with the hands above our heads. They were kicking us with their boots. Eso Macic was there, I am one hundred percent sure of that. I think that he even twisted his ankle while beating us. He carried a crutch after that,” stated the witness.
Mrkajic added that in December 1992 he was transferred to the “Musala” sports hall and that he was not harassed by Macic anymore. By the beginning of October 1994 he was released from “Musala”.
State Prosecutor Sanja Jukic showed to the witness the statement that he gave in February 2010 to State Prosecution.
Prosecutor and asked for clarification from the witness because in the previous statement he said that he is not sure that Macic participated in the beatings after the Red Cross visit and that he is not sure that he saw him in the “Musala” hall.
“When I was giving this statement I was not able to remember everything. On my return I was “rolling down” the film and remembered everything,” answered Macic.
The continuation of the trial has been set for 29 September this year.
A.J.
