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Nafija Pirija told the Court that she lived with her husband Izet and two young children in Bezujno village, near Cajnice in April 1992. The witness said that the situation in the vicinity of Cajnice became “tense”.
“While we were at home in late April 1992, we heard trucks climbing up the hill above our village. They brought weapons to Orthodox Serb houses from Cajnice,” Pirija said.
According to witness Pirija, two Serb neighbours, who were dressed in camouflage uniforms, came to her house on May 6, 1992 and asked her husband to hand over his weapons. He did as they told him.
“I shall never forget what happened on the following day. Three armed uniformed men came to our house. I told my husband to run away, but he refused to do it. They loaded him into a car. I wanted to come with him, but they did not let me go. My children were crying, begging them to let their father go, but they just said that it was an order. They drove away. I fainted,” Pirija said, adding that this was the last time she saw her husband.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Milun Kornjaca, Milorad Zivkovic and Dusko Tadic with the persecution of Bosniaks from Cajnice area and murder of civilians in that town. 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.
Witness Pirija told the Court that, after her husband Izet had been taken away, she was hiding in the woods, along with her children, out of “fear”. She said that she joined her Bosniak neighbours, who went to the Gorazde area in late May or early June 1992.
During the course of cross-examination witness Pirija said that she had known indictee Kornjaca from before the war, adding that she did not know Zivkovic and Tadic. Pirija said that she did not see any of the indictees in 1992.
Kornjaca on one hand and Zivkovic and Tadic on the other are on separate trials before the State Court, but joint witnesses are examined at the same hearings due to better efficiency of the proceedings.
The next hearing is due to be held on December 12 this year.
D.Dz.
