Silos: Provocations in Detention

Pandurevic said that she was taken, along with other persons, from Gornja Rastelica, Hadzici municipality to Tarcin on May 28, 1992 and that she was later transferred to “Silos”.

She said that the Manager came to her cell on June 4, 1992 and said that some control group would come later that day, adding that members of “Rijeka Brigade” came later and beat male detainees up.

“Then they came to my cell and began provoking me. They forced me to cross myself using five fingers and shout Allahu Akbar. They told one girl to beat me with a whip, but she refused to do it. They forced me to take my clothes off. I had to remain naked for half an hour,” Pandurevic said.

The witness said that Becir Hujic was the Manager of “Silos”, while Halid Covic was his Deputy. They performed their work in “a professional” manner.

Hujic and Covic, are charged by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges, along with Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember, for crimes at the “Silos” detention camp, the “Krupa” military barracks and “9. maj” school building.

The indictment alleges that Becir Hujic was the Manager and Deputy Manager of “Silos” detention camp, just like Halid Covic. Nermin Kalember was a guard in “Silos”, while the others were members of civilian, military and police authorities.

Speaking about the conditions in “Silos”, the witness said that, after having been brought to the Facility, she took a bath for the first time in mid-August 1992 and that she had a wooden palette in her cell.

“I did not have any contact with male detainees. I did not even see my husband in passing for about 20 months,” she said, adding that she could not perform labour, although she volunteered.

According to Pandurevic, soldiers once came to “Silos” and beat the detainees.
“One of them came with a big knife and said that he would slaughter me… He went to the top of the stairs and began provoking me. I was scared. He started shooting from his gun. I fainted,” said the witness, who was then taken to hospital.

She informed the then Manager Halid Covic about the incident. He told her that something like that would never happen again. She pointed out that most of the guards in “Silos” treated people in a correct manner. Also, she said that her 1339-day detention in “Silos” had left consequences on her health.

Responding to questions by Vasvija Vidovic, Defence attorney of indictee Djelilovic, the witness said that she was detained, because she was “a Serb” and a Serbian Democratic Party, SDS “activist”.

Pandurevic was Chairman of the Local SDS Board and delegate in the Hadzici Municipal Assembly.

She said that she was not involved in arming people and that she did not distribute weapons to people, as alleged by the Defence.

The trial is due to continue on February 28.