Memic et al: She Saw Hakalovic in Gaj

Witness Mara Delinac said that she was happy to see Hakalovic and that she told him that she knew him, but, as she said, he responded by saying: “Why does it matter?”.

She said that a few men, including her brother-in-law Zeljko Blazevic, were lined up against a wall in Gaj hamlet, while ABiH soldiers were facing them.

“They told women and children to go behind the house. Hakalovic was with those soldiers. We heard a burst of fire… Had we been strong enough, we could have watched it. Later on we looked at the killed people with our children. It was horrible,” Delinac said, adding that she did not see the shooting itself.

Hakalovic, Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago are on trial for the attack on Trusina on April 16, 1993, when 18 civilians and four members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO were killed.

According to the charges, Hakalovic was member of “Neretvica” 45th Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, while the other indictees were members of “Zulfikar” Squad with the Main Command Headquarters of ABiH.

Witness Delinac, who came with her husband and children from Sarajevo to the house of her sister Anica and brother-in-law Zeljko Blazevic in her home village of Trusina, said that the attack on the village began in the morning on April 16, 1993.

Ivan Drljo, who lived in that village, informed them that ABiH soldiers ordered the men to surrender. She said that Zeljko Blazevic went with him to Gaj hamlet and that, on their way to the hamlet, they conveyed the information to Zdravko Drljo too.

As she said, in the meantime unknown members of ABiH came to the house, ordered them to come out and go towards Bosiljka Kreso’s house. She said that the soldiers robbed them.

The witness told the Court that she was then forced, along with Jela Ljubic, to collect weapons on the road and that they noticed a few killed local residents. After that they were ordered to go to Gaj.

Delinac said that she expected big help from Hakalovic, whom she knew by sight, adding that their parents knew each other well. She explained that she found out what his name was after having heard that he was arrested.
She said that, following the shooting of the few men, women and children were ordered to go inside a nearby house.

“They asked for money, gold and whatever we had with us. I gave a soldier 100 German Marks. He returned them to me, but he then came back to take them, saying that other soldiers saw him giving the money back to me,” the witness said.

When they were going for an exchange on the following day, the witness saw bodies of a few killed local residents. She said that her father was killed in Trusina.

“I have not been able to sleep well since then. My life is no longer peaceful. Everything has turned upside down,” said Delinac, who gave up identity protection measures, which were granted previously, and testified publicly.

The trial is due to continue on Friday, June 29, when a new State Prosecution witness will be examined.
A.J.