Dronjak: Burying the Dead next to Detention Camp

“I almost never entered the room, where prisoners were held. I rarely had any contacts with them,” Dronjak said.

The indictee said that he was appointed as manager of the military and investigative prison in Kamenica in the summer of 1992, adding that he performed the function until the end of 1995. He said that, prior to that, he had become Manager of the “Slavko Rodic” school building in May 1992, although he was never officially appointed for that function.

Responding to Prosecution’s questions, Dronjak denied the allegation that the Kamenica prison served as “a detention camp”.

“Had I known that, I would not have been here now. If we look through history, we know what happens to detention camps. It was never presented to me as a detention camp,” Dronjak said.

Answering the Prosecution’s questions, the indictee said that he knew that certain guards beat prisoners up and that some people died in the detention camp, but, as he said, those people died of contagious diseases. He said that they were then buried within the detention camp complex.

“Four or five prisoners were buried within the prison complex. They were taken to an ambulance in order to determine the cause of death and make a medical report. The closest place where we could bury them was the prison complex,” Dronjak said.

The indictee said that he pulled prisoners’ shirts up in order to see if they were beaten up, after having received reports saying that they were beaten with sticks.

Ratko Dronjak, former Manager of detention facilities in Drvar municipality, is charged with having participated in the establishment and maintenance of a punishment and abuse system in the “Slavko Rodic” school building and Lamenica detention camp in Drvar municipality from May 1992 to the end of 1995.

Among other things, the indictment alleges that indictee Dronjak and guards in the detention facilities and detention camps, members of security bodies and military police of the Second Krajina Corps with the Republika Srpska Army, deliberately participated in a joint criminal enterprise and abetted and supported the implementation of a plan for persecution of the non-Serb civilian population.

The indictment alleges that detained civilians and prisoners of war were subjected to torture, beating, murder, inhumane treatment and forced labour every day.

The indictee confirmed that prisoners were held in wet basement, while lying on stones without light. He said that there were four isolation cells in Kamenica.

“People who disturbed public order were locked in isolation cells. Those persons were then criminally processes,” the indictee explained, adding that guards and guard shift leaders and the Commander of military security decided on who would be locked in the isolation cells.

“Out of 24 hours, I used to spent an hour per day in the prison, sometimes even less,” Dronjak said, adding that women and one minor were detained in Kamenica for some time too.

The trial is due to continue on February 2 this year.A.S.