Vlahovic: Balvanovic Family taken away and killed

Witness Zoran Vaclav told the Trial Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina that he was very close to the Balvanovic family, adding that he heard that “Batko’s group” had taken the Balvanovic brothers away and that they also took their wives and mother a short time later.

“After they had been taken away, a friend of ours, who was a member of the Serb Army, told me that the brothers and their mother were killed and dumped into a hole, near the road to Mount Trebevic. It was hard for my friend to speak about it, so he started vomiting,” Vaclav said.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Vlahovic with having killed and participated in the murder of several persons in Grbavica, Vraca and Kovacici, Sarajevo in 1992 and participated in the abuse of Bosniak and Croat civilians, confiscating their money and other valuable possessions.
A second indictment was filed against Vlahovic, charging him with the murder and disappearance of 14 people, as well as the rape and abuse of civilians. The indictee is being held in custody.

Testifying at this hearing, Jasmina Mujkovic said that she knew that the wives of the Balvanovic brothers were taken away in 1992, but they managed to save themselves later on.

“One of them was taken to an apartment. I know that she jumped from the third floor and saved herself. A Serb policeman, who knew the second brother’s wife, saved her and helped her leave Grbavica later on,” Mujkovic said.

Hasan Gobeljic testified for the State Prosecution at this hearing. He said that he heard that Vlahovic killed the Balvanovic brothers.

Gobeljic said that indictee Vlahovic and nine other soldiers took his brother from their apartment on the third floor to the building roof with an intention to push him off the building, but a neighbour prevented them from doing it.

The trial is due to continue on March 8, 2012.M.B.