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Ilija Raic, former member of the Croatian Defence Forces, said he came to Dretelj in 1992, where he saw Srecko Herceg only several times. The prosecutor, Remzija Smailagic, asked the witness to repeat what he talked about with Herceg in Dretelj, which he revealed during investigation, to which he replied that he did not remember.
I dont know, I dont recall. I was afraid then. I was never before in court, I have never testified… said Raic, adding that he was a little bit afraid today as well.After prosecutor Smailagic reminded him that in the deposition he gave to the prosecution in 2010 he said that before coming to Dretelj he heard Herceg was the prison chief, Raic confirmed he was told that, but upon arriving to Dretelj he learnt it was not so.
Srecko Herceg is charged together with Ivan Zelenika, Edib Buljubasic, Ivan Medic and Marina Grubisic-Fejzic, former members of the Croatian Defence Forces, with crimes committed against imprisoned Serbian civilians in 1992 in Dretelj.According to the indictment, Zelenika was an officer of the Croatian Defence Forcesd, Herceg was a former commander of the Dretelj military prison, Buljubasic was former member of the Croatian Defence Forces 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 abuseRaic said that in Dretelj he was assigned with guarding women who cooked, and that around 150 people were held in hangars.
I noticed bruises on some of the male prisoners, as if they had been slapped, recalled the witness, adding that he did not see anyone beat the prisoners.Asked whether it was true that he reported to Herceg injuries on prisoners, as he previously revealed during investigation, the witness said he did not recall it, and that Srecko was not even in Dretelj. He said he did not see Marina hit anyone, as well as that he did not recall what he exactly said about her in the investigation.
The witness said no one threatened in order not to testimony, that he is disabled and that he has PTSP.I was wounded in the war, I have a shrapnel in my head, I suffer from trauma, insomnia, I forget things. I also have PTSP, I am a war veteran with disability, I have to take medication every day, he said.
The Trial Chamber told the witness there were great discrepancies between his statements and asked him whether he was aware of the consequences of his testimony. Raic replied: The truth is what I said today. I was under a lot of stress, I was afraid, I did not know anything.The trial will resume on April 23.
