Dretelj Witness Gave Deposition ‘Under Pressure’
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Tonco Rajic, former member of the Croatian Defence Forces, HOS, and a guard in the Dretelj camp, told the Court in Sarajevo on Tuesday that he gave his deposition to the State Prosecution in 2010 under pressure.
Before being questioned by the prosecutors, I received a call from people who introduced themselves as the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, who told me they could arrest me, the witness said, adding that he did not tell this to the prosecutor who questioned him because he was afraid to.
At the beginning of the hearing, Rajic, who was appointed legal counsel, also said he did not feel well. Although the Trial Chamber decided that he could continue his testimony, it ended an hour-and-a-half later because of his health condition.
Rajic said he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The Court then ordered an expert examination, and said it would decide after whether to call him again.
Rajic was testifying at the trial of Ivan Zelenika, Srecko Herceg, Edib Buljubasic, Ivan Medic and Marina Grubisic-Fejzic, former members of the HOS, for crimes committed against imprisoned Serbian civilians in 1992 in Dretelj.
According to the indictment, Zelenika was an officer of the HOS, Herceg was a former commander of the Dretelj military prison, Buljubasic was former member of the HOS and deputy commander of the Dretelj barracks, and Medic and Grubisic-Fejzic were former guards in Dretelj.
The indictment specifies that they all took part in torture and in forcing prisoners to perform hard labour, while several people died from the abuse.
Rajic said there were prisoners in Dreteljs hangars in 1992 that he thought were Serbs. He said that he heard they were abused, but did not see it.
Prosecutor Remzija Smailagic presented his deposition from the investigation in which he had said he saw prisoners being beaten, to which he replied that what he was saying today was the truth, and what he said in the investigation was spoken under pressure.
He also said he knew Srecko Herceg. Asked whether he saw Herceg beat prisoners, he said he did not see it directly.
Prosecutor Smailagic pointed out that the witness had said during the investigation that he saw Herceg beat prisoners.
The trial will resume on April 9 with the examination of a protected witness.
