Local Justice – Boljak: He Crippled People

Ilijas Spahic said that he joined a Medjasi Children’s Embassy convoy with a minivan, transporting women and children, in May 1992. He said that the convoy was stopped in the Ilidza area and that he was separated from the others.

As he said, “a captain with rank insignias” on his uniform forced him to get out of the minivan and told him that he would be killed unless he went to the base.

“I remember finding myself in front of a refrigerator truck. This is where I saw Bato for the first time. I remember that he was armed. He loaded me onto the truck, hitting me with his legs and hands. Later on he got on the truck and began beating me again. He then brought Dragan, who beat us later on, while Bato gave orders to him,” Spahic said.

He identified indictee Ranko Boljak, as the man nicknamed Bato, who beat him on that day.

Boljak, former member of the Ilidza Brigade with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, is charged with having stopped a convoy of civilians in Ilidza municipality on May 19, 1992 and separated a few men from other convoy passengers. He then allegedly locked the men in a refrigerator truck, where they stayed in inhumane conditions.

In addition, he is charged with having hit a civilian, while being accompanied by an unknown soldier, with his hands and legs and confiscated 700 German Marks from him.

Witness Spahic said that Hakija Gacanovic and man named Azem were in the truck with him, adding that another man, who suffered from a heart disease, was brought later on.

“They beat Hakija more than any of us. I had two broken ribs. I am sure that Bato hit me. Later on he brought Dragan, who hit us too. When Dragan hit Hakija, blood started pouring from his ear. Gacanovic was unconscious,” Spahic said.

He said that they stayed in the truck for three days and nights, adding that the indictee released the elderly man later on, because he began suffocating due to a lack of air. They were then taken to the Police Station in Ilidza, where they were held until June 11, 1992.

“During those 22 days Bato used to come every day and crippled people. I saw him hitting people on their hands with a metal window frame. He ordered them to put their hands on the window frame, so he could hit them,” Spahic said.

As he said, he suffered from the mental consequences of being detained in the cell.

“Even now I sometimes wake up because of that nightmare and suffocation. Experts told me that I would suffer from that for as long as I live,” the witness said.

Indictee Boljak addressed the witness, telling him that 80 percent of his testimony was true, but “20 percent was a lie”. Spahic responded by saying that he was a criminal.

“You are a criminal. If it were not for this Court, we would not be speaking to each other today,” Spahic said.

As per a decision rendered by an extra-procedural chamber of the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo, this case will be merged with another indictment that was filed against Boljak, charging him with the causing of bodily pain and suffering.

The trial is due to continue on June 25.