Vlahovic: Diamonds Saved His Life
This post is also available in: Bosnian
He said that indictee Vlahovic and a tall soldier took him to Digitron Buje building in Grbavica, Sarajevo at the beginning of May 1992.
Upon our arrival, Batko hit me with some steel rod. I had a feeling that he cut my legs off. He then began hitting me with fists. He knew how to do it, as he was a boxer, the witness said.
He said that Vlahovic then turned towards the tall soldier and said: Lets take him to Trebevic, where I will slaughter him.
Alihodzic said that they drove him to a place near Vraca, where he noticed a horrible smell upon getting out of the car. He said that Vlahovic told him that he slaughtered many Muslims at that location.
He said that the indictee told him that he would not kill him if he had any money. After that the three of them went to the basement of a building in Grbavica, where he had dug his money and diamonds.
Batko gave me a knife. I dug out a pot with 40,000 Marks and diamonds, which I bought in Kuwait when I worked there, Alihodzic said.
As he said, the tall soldier grabbed the diamonds and ran away. Vlahovic ran after him, cursing him. They started fighting with each other in front of the building.
I used the opportunity and fled to my apartment. My wife was shocked when she saw how I looked like. I had five broken ribs, fracture of my jaw and teeth missing, Alihodzic said.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Vlahovic with murders, rape, abuse, robbing, disappearances and other inhumane acts against Bosniak and Croat civilians in Grbavica, Vraca and Kovacici, Sarajevo in 1992.
Witness Dzevad Gusic told the Court that, in the summer of 1992 he was taken, along with his neighbours from Vraca, to Digitron Buje building, where a few men had already been detained.
As he said, they used to take the men out and beat them up. Groups of soldiers, including indictee Vlahovic, used to come to the room, where they were held, and beat each of them up.
Batko beat me up most often. He told me that he would kill me, because I was young and he thought I might take revenge on him, Gusic said, adding that the indictee then shot him in his leg. He said that he did that to other men as well. M.B.
