Memic et al: Zuka’s and Nihad’s Soldiers

Protected witness R, former member of “Zulfikar” Special Squad with the Main Command Headquarters of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that he was among the soldiers, who were led by Nedzad Hodzic, known as John Wayne, during the attack on the village on April 16, 1993.

“Some soldiers surrendered. Those Croats first opened fire at us. Samko was wounded. Then they surrendered. The shooting then happened. Johnny supposed that Samko would die, so he ordered us to shoot. I know that one of those Croats began running away. The shooting then began,” witness R said, adding that he did not participate in the shooting of local Trusina residents.

Witness R said that, during the course of the attack on Trusina he saw Rasema Handanovic, known as Zolja, kill a civilian who had surrendered to her, by firing several bullets into his chest.

“At some stage another civilian, who said that he was Muslim and asked her to save him, surrendered to her. She forced him to pull down his trousers in the village centre in order to prove that he was Muslim,” R said, adding that it turned out that the civilian was Bosniak, so he was not killed.
Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago, former members of “Zulfikar” Squad with the Main Command Headquarters of ABiH, and Senad Hakalovic, former member of “Neretvica” 45th Brigade of ABiH, are on trial for the murder of 22 former members of the Croatian Defence Council and civilians in Trusina on April 16, 1993.

Handanovic, former member of “Zulfikar” Squad, was sentenced to five and a half years after having admitted guilt for crimes in Trusina.

Protected witness R, who began testifying on June 11 this year, said that Zulfikar Alispago, former Commander of the Special Squad, had “an absolute authority” and was “a strict commander”.

“People were disciplined when Zuka was there. He regularly ordered us to take care for civilians and prisoners of war. However, when Zuka was not around, Nihad sometimes mistreated prisoners of war and Zuka’s commands were not respected,” the witness said.

He told the Court that some members of the Squad, including him, called themselves Zuka’s men and considered Alispago their one and only commander, while others, who called themselves Nihad’s men, were loyal to indictee Bojadzic.

The trial is due to continue on June 25 this year, when protected witness I will testify for the Prosecution.

D.Dz.