Local Justice – Bejtic: Witness Does not Know Indictee

During the course of her testimony Behireta Sljivic, wife of Bozidar Sljivic, said that she had never seen the indictee before, adding that she did not consider him responsible for her husband’s murder.

“I have absolutely never seen this man, except now, in the courtroom. My husband was killed by Musan Topalovic, known as Caco. Caco said that to my brother Avdo Osmanovic,” Sljivic said.

The Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecution charges Bejtic, former member of the 10th Mountain Brigade with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with having come, accompanied by Musan Topalovic, to Bozidar Sljivic’s apartment in Alifakovac Street, Sarajevo, in June 1992, although he knew that Sljivic would be killed.

“As soon as they came to the apartment, they started beating him. After that they drove away in a car, driven by Bejtic, taking a bypass road above Bistrik tunnel. Once the vehicle stopped, Topalovic took Bozidar Sljivic out of the car and killed him, firing two bullets from his revolver on his head,” the indictment alleges.

Besides that, Bejtic is charged with having taken Zoran Vucurevic to a location close to the division line in December 1992 and killed him from a revolver. He then allegedly poured a diluent over his body and set the body on fire.

Among other things, the indictment alleges that, in September 1993 Bejtic participated in the beating of two civilians in the Command of the 10th Mountain Brigade. The civilians were then allegedly taken to Kazani and killed.

Musan Topalovic, known as Caco, former Commander of the 10th Mountain Brigade with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, got killed in October 1993.

In July 2006 the Sarajevo Cantonal Court sentenced Samir Bejtic to 14 years and six months in prison for killing civilians at Kazani, Sarajevo. The parties appealed the verdict. In January 2007 the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, FBiH, accepted the appeals and ordered a retrial.

Following the retrial, in July 2008 Bejtic was acquitted of the charges that he committed murder, beating and abuse of civilians at Kazani. The Cantonal Prosecution filed another appeal with the Supreme Court of FBiH in November 2010. The verdict was then revoked and a new trial to be held before the Sarajevo Cantonal Court ordered.

Besides Sljivic, witnesses Idriz Kamenica, Asif Alibasic, Refik Colak, Mesud Lagumdzija, Ramiz Kazic and Fikret Mrzic were invited to testify at this hearing. They said that they stuck by their previous statements given at the trial of Bejtic.

The trial is due to continue on November 4, 2011.