Marjanovic: Father Taken away

Ismet Bajic, who was three and a half years old in 1992, told the Court that he and his family were on their way from Zepa to Babljak village, Rogatica municipality, when soldiers stopped them. Bajic said that he remembered having heard his parents say that their neighbour Zoran Marjanovic was among the soldiers who had stopped them.

“We were transported by a white car to Borike place. Marjanovic was in the car with us. We went out of the car. Two soldiers then took my father away. I started crying. One of the soldiers told me that no harm would be done to my father. We have not seen my father Nurko since,” Bajic said.

Marjanovic is charged with having arrested a Bosniak family, consisting of a married couple and four minors, in Marina Homora village, Rogatica municipality on June 19, 1992. He was allegedly accompanied by a few other members of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS.

The indictment alleges that the family was taken to Borike. Unknown VRS members took the mother and children away and detained them in the “Veljko Vlahovic” school building in Rogatica, while the father was taken in an unknown direction. He has been missing since.

Witness Bajic said that his family was taken from Borike to a building in Rogatica. After that they were transported to Kladanj and then to Visoko.  

“I shall never forget the scene when they took my father away. I would like to know where his bones are, so I could visit his grave,” Bajic said.

Second Prosecution witness Sabeheta Zulfic said that Mevlija Bajic told her that she was on her way from Zepa to Rogatica, when Marjanovic captured her.

“I knew Marjanovic and his family, because they lived close to my home. Our relations with the Marjanovic family were good prior to the war,” Zulfic said.

Witness Zulfic told the Court that she lived with her family in Babljak village in July 1992, when unknown soldiers took her father-in-law and then also her brother-in-law and husband away.

“One day soldiers came and took my father-in-law away. A few days later they came back, looking for my husband and his brothers. My mother-in-law asked them why they were taking them away. The soldiers told her that they were taken for an examination. (…) I have never seen my husband since,” Zulfic said.

Zulfic said that, a few days later Serb soldiers came to the village and transported all local residents to Borike, where they took men from the trucks and transported the others to Vlasenica.

The next hearing is due to be held on December 1, 2011.