Memic et al: Dead Bodies at Various Locations

On the second day of her testimony Jela Ljubic said that she saw a few dead people after they had been shot in front of a house in Trusina. As she said, she saw some other bodies at various locations, while she collected weapons for the soldiers, who had attacked Trusina. The Defence of indictee Zulfikar Alispago presented the witness with a Croatian Defence Council, HVO document, containing the names of the killed people, including of her husband. “I confirm that those men were killed in Trusina. Both civilians and HVO members were among the killed people,” witness Ljubic said. Ljubic began testifying on November 14 this year, when she said that she was in the vicinity of the shooting locations, but she neither saw the shooting itself nor its perpetrators.

Besides Alispago, Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Senad Hakalovic, Nedzad Hodzic and Nihad Bojadzic are charged with the murder of 18 civilians and four HVO members in Trusina village on April 16, 1993.

The indictment alleges that Memic, Salcin and Hodzic, former members of the “Zulfikar” Special Purposes Squad with the Main Command Headquarters of ABiH, and Hakalovic, former member of the “Neretvica” 45th Mountain Brigade, participated in the attack on Trusina and murder of civilians and prisoners of war.

According to the charges, Bojadzic, the then Deputy Commander of “Zulfikar” Squad, commanded the attack, while Alispago, former Commander of that Squad, is charged with having failed to sanction the soldiers, who participated in the shooting.

Kadrija Kolic, Defence attorney of indictee Hakalovic, presented the witness with a statement given in August 1993, which was signed by her and her sister. However, Ljubic said that she did not remember whether her sister was there, when she gave her statement to the HVO, adding that it was possible that the signature was hers.

Kolic read a part of that statement, saying that two soldiers, one of whom was Seid Hakalovic, Zaim’s son, came to her sister’s house in Trusina on April 16, 1993. At the hearing held on November 14 the witness said that “Zaim’s son” came to her sister’s house and pointed to indictee Senad Hakalovic in the courtroom.

The trial is due to continue on December 5 this year, when a new Prosecution witness will testify.A.J.