Kornjaca et al: Murder of Detainees

Testifying before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hatidza Sisic said that her mother told her that, on May 6, 1992 Milorad Zivkovic, known as Zika, came to her house, together with other armed men, in order to conduct a search. Sisic said that the armed men did not find anything in their house, but they took her brother Enver Gluscic away.

“My mother found out that Enver was held in the hunters’ house at Mostina. The detainees, who were held in the hunters’ house, were brutally and bestially killed. They threw a few bombs first. The evil perpetrators then killed the detainees. I found out about it when I watched a video recording made by Novi Sad television,” the witness said.

The recording made by Novi Sad TV was shown at this hearing. Among other things, the recording depicts the body of the brother of the witness.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Zivkovic, Milun Kornjaca and Dusko Tadic with the persecution of Bosniaks in the Cajnice area and the murder of 11 civilians at Mostina on May 19, 1992.

The indictment alleges that Kornjaca was Commander of the “Plavi orlovi” (“Blue Eagles”) paramilitary unit, Tadic was member of that Unit and Zivkovic was Chief of the Public Safety Station in Cajnice and member of the Crisis Committee in that municipality.

Kornjaca, Zivkovic and Tadic are on separate trials before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but joint witnesses are examined at the same hearing due to better efficiency of the proceedings. The indictees are held in custody.

The witness said that her neighbours from Cajnice told her that “Veljo Tadic and Dusko Tadic” committed the murders in the hunters’ house.

During the course of cross-examination, indictee Zivkovic asked the witness if she believed that he had taken her brother away, knowing that they had been friends before the war. Witness Sisic said that she had no reason to doubt her mother’s words.

Sisic went on by saying that her mother was not able to testify, because her health condition was bad.

“Even now she thinks that my brother is alive, but he does not want to talk to her. She expects him to knock on the door. She says that she knows that he is married. She leaves birthday presents for him. We then take those presents away. She cannot accept the fact that he is not alive,” Sisic said.

The Defence of Zivkovic presented some medical documents, adding that the documents contain information about depression treatment that the witness’ mother underwent prior to the war. Sisic said that this was not known to her.

The next hearing is due to be held on October 17 this year.