Local Justice – Gvozden: Revengeful Expedition
Testifying for the Bihac Cantonal Prosecution, the witnesses said that Mile Gvozden said, during the funeral of the indictees brother, that they should revenge for the death of Miroslav and his brother.
Bojan Gvozden, Zoran Simcic and Ostoja Gvozden said that, two days later, on December 5, they went towards Sasina village, which was mainly inhabited by Croats. He said that they were led by Mile Gvozden and that they were armed.
Mile and Miroslav were in the courtyard, while the three of us stayed in the street. Mile killed one man and then also a younger woman and an old lady, who was standing by a well. The three of us were shocked, because we thought that the revenge would only consist of shooting and intimidating local residents, witness Bojan Gvozden said.
As he said, Mile told them to move forward. He then stopped a cart on which two men and a child were driving.
He shot at one of the adult men. Both he and Miroslav then shot at the other man, who tried to come down from the cart. Later on I heard that the man survived. I told the child to flee, so he ran away. Nobody shot at him, Bojan Gvozden said.
He told the Court that Mile then shot at the man, who told him that his name was Ivo, before entering another house along with Miroslav.
We heard gunshots. When the two of them came out, Mile said: I killed the newly-weds. After that we went back to our houses. Military policemen apprehended us soon, the witness said.
In March this year the Bihac Prosecution filed an indictment against Miroslav Gvozden, charging him with having killed six Croat civilians, acting in collaboration with other members of the Republika Srpska Army, in Tomasica village, Sanski Most municipality. It is alleged that Pero Topalovic, Mara Salic, Draginja Salic, Mile Topalovic, Mate Matos and Manda Matos were killed.
Witnesses Ostoja Gvozden and Zoran Simcic, who was 16 at the time, gave almost identical statements.
Military police apprehended us to Sanski Most and then to Banja Luka. After having examined me, they sent me home on the following day. I think that the others remained in custody for nearly a month, Simcic said.
Indictee Miroslav Gvozden asked the witnesses whether they remembered that he saved a child and several other Croats by telling them to run away. None of the three witnesses confirmed that.
The trial is due to continue on December 3.
D.D.
