Mikulic: Indictee Denies Contact with Detainees

Drazen Mikulic said that, as member of military police with the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, he first came to the unit, which was situated close to the prison in Dretelj, at the beginning of July 1993, when he saw some people in the vicinity of that place and found out that they were Bosniaks.

“It is no secret that there was a prison in Dretelj. When I came to that place, I saw some people and found out, from what others told me, that they were Bosniaks. At that time I did not know what was happening there,” Mikulic said, adding that he did not have any contact with any of the Bosniaks, who were held in Dretelj.

The indictee told the Court that he visited Dretelj again on July 12, 1993, when he was supposed to participate in a military operation, along with other members of his unit, but he did not stay in Dretelj for long.

“On that same day we went from Dretelj to Heliodrom. We stayed there until July 15, when we participated in an operation for evacuation of the wounded and killed HVO members. I evacuated Mario Udovicic. I was wounded after that,” Mikulic said, adding that, following the wounding, he was on sick leave for a month.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Mikulic, former member of HVO Military Police, with having treated civilians, who were held in Dretelj, in an inhumane manner from the beginning of July to the end of August 1993.

According to the charges, Mikulic participated, several times, in the torture of detainees in a cruel, brutal and humiliating manner, causing severe bodily injuries and suffering of the civilians. This even resulted in death of some of them.

Indictee Mikulic said that he went to the unit in Dretelj on August 15, 1993, because he was obliged to report to the unit following the end of his sick leave. The indictee pointed out that he was sent back home and told that he would be assigned other tasks in September that year.

“I will probably never be able to explain to myself why my name is used in the context of Dretelj. I do not know if somebody used my identity. Because of my current situation, I shall never forgive myself for being born,” Mikulic said.

Mario Udovicic, former member of HVO Military Police, testified at this hearing as well. He said that he was in Dretelj and Heliodrom with indictee Mikulic from July 12 to 15, 1993 and that Mikulic helped him when he was wounded.

“On July 15 I participated in an operation for evacuation of killed and wounded soldiers. I was wounded in that operation. Drazen evacuated me to an ambulance vehicle,” Udovicic said, adding that he found out later on that Mikulic was wounded too.

Witness Marinko Sosa, former Commander of the Sixth Brigade of HVO from Grude municipality, said that he went to indictee Mikulic’s house on August 2, 1993 in order to give him 500 Marks, representing the financial aid given to wounded HVO soldiers.

The trial is due to continue on April 19 this year, when the Defence will present its material evidence.
S.U.