Memic et al: Murder of Husband and Father
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Anica Blazevic said that she saw her husband Zeljko among other men prior to their shooting in front of a house in Trusina village, but she said she did not see the murders. The witness said that she was brought to that house, along with a few other women and children.
I saw five men, who were lined up. My husband was among them. We stopped there. I saw Senad Hakalovic among the soldiers, who were standing next to the lined men. We passed by them and then we heard shooting, the witness said, adding that she passed by the house again, while being escorted by soldiers, and saw that her husband was dead.
Blazevic said that, on the morning on April 16, 1993 Ivan Drljo came to the house, in which she lived, and told her husband that he had to surrender. Her husband left with him.
According to the witness, she had known indictee Senad Hakalovic from before. She recognised him in the courtroom. The witness, who had previously been granted identity protection measures, decided to testify publicly. The Trial Chamber accepted her decision.
The murder of 18 civilians and four members of HVO committed in Trusina village on April 16, 1993 are charged upon Hakalovic, Mensur Memic, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic, Dzevad Salcin and Zulfikar Alispago.
The indictment alleges that Memic, Salcin and Hodzic, former members of Zulfikar Special Purposes Squad with the Main Command Headquarters of ABiH, and Hakalovic, former member of Neretvica 45th Mountain Brigade, participated in the attack on Trusina and murder of civilians and prisoners of war.
The indictment further alleges that the attack was commanded by Bojadzic, the then Deputy Commander of Zulfikar Squad.
Indictee Alispago, former Commander of that Squad, is charged with having failed to punish the soldiers, who participated in the shooting.
As she continued testifying, Blazevic said that her father too was killed in Trusina, adding that a female person killed him.
A female soldier fired a bullet into my father’s mouth, the witness said, adding that her mother, who died in the meantime, told her about it. State Prosecutor Vesna Budimir asked the witness if she suffered any consequences of the Trusina event. The witness responded by saying that she was mentally broken.
Blazevic said that she left Trusina on April 17, 1993, when she was exchanged, along with other village residents.
The trial is due to continue on December 16 this year.A.J.
