Basic and Sijak: Privileged Prisoner

Elvedin Bisic, former member of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH and Deputy Manager of the prison in “Autotrans” and “Sumarstvo” building in Vares, said that he remembered that one of the prisoners was visited by his sister, adding that the prison was policeman before the war, so he had “more privileges” than others in the prison.

“The policeman, who was held in the prison, was visited by his sister two or three times. She was allowed to stay longer than other visitors, because the policeman was privileged in comparison to other prisoners,” witness Bisic said, adding that he was present once when the prisoner’s sister visited him.

Bisic testified at the trial of Muhidin Basic and Mirsad Sijak, who, according to the State Prosecution’s charges, forced a Croat female person to have sex with them in the ABiH prison situated in the basement of “Sumarstvo” building in Vares on January 25, 1994.

The indictment alleges that witness A paid a visit to her brother on that day. Two unknown persons, one of whom had a knife and the other carried some military blankets, as well as the two indictees entered the office. According to the charges, the indictees and the two unknown persons then raped her.

The indictment alleges that Basic was Chief of the State Security Service Section in Olovo, while Siljak was military policeman with the 122nd Light Brigade of ABiH at the time.

When asked by the Defence of indictee Basic if the event, which is charged upon Basic and Sijak, could have happened in the prison, witness Bisic answered negatively.

“There is no way that anybody could have been sexually abused in that building. If I knew that Basic and Sijak did that, I would say it here, because it is a crime,” Bisic said, adding that he had not known indictee Basic from before.

Witness Bisic said that members of ABiH and about 22 members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO were held in the prison and that all prisoners could receive visitors.

Alija Cizmo, former guard in the detention unit in “Autotrans” and “Sumarstvo” building, testified as second witness at this hearing. He said that he had never heard that rape was committed in the premises he guarded.

When asked by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina if indictee Sijak used any bywords, witness Cizmo said that he could not remember. After that State Prosecutor Mirko Lecic presented a statement in which Cizmo said that Sijak often used the “Miko moj” phrase when talking to people.

“I might have said that, but I cannot remember everything. When I gave my statement to the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, somebody reminded me that Sijak often used the ‘Miko moj’ phrase,” Cizmo said.

The trial is due to continue on Monday, April 2 this year, when two more State Prosecution witnesses will be examined.
S.U.