Statements Given under Pressure Due to Beating

As the trial for crimes in Kotor-Varos continues, indictee Sead Menzil’s Defence witnesses say that, in 1992 they signed statements about events in that area after having been captured by members of Serb forces and that they signed them under pressure.

The content of those statements was not presented at this hearing. Witnesses Camil Vatrac and Mirzet Botic said that they were beaten up while being examined.

“I was hit on my back with a rifle butt. I fell down immediately. They examined us. I signed something. I do not know what it was. Also, we have statements in Kotor-Varos, where they examined us in the premises of the Territorial Defence,” Vatrac said, adding that they were beaten up at that place as well.   

Witness Botic told the Court that he was wounded and captured during a withdrawal of forces and that, after having received medical assistance in Kotor-Varos, he was transferred to a hospital in Banja Luka.

“We were left in front of the hospital. Whoever passed by us beat us. When we were placed into a room, they came again and hit us…Three or four days later I was taken for an examination. They asked me about the happenings in Vecici. I told them that I was a courier and that I kept guard. The man said: ‘Enough! Don’t lie!,”  Botic said, adding that he was given a statement, which he had to sign.    

The witness specified that, during his 45-day stay at the hospital they beat him and examined about various things, including the attack on Serdari village.

He denied having told the names of participants in the attack to anyone. According to the charges, 16 Serb civilians were killed in the attack on September 16, 1992.

Menzil is on trial, along with Fikret Planincic, Rasim Lisancic and Mirsad Vatrac, for those crimes.

Examining witness Botic about various events in the Kotor-Varos area, Prosecutor Dragan Corlija tried to prove that he gave his statement in Banja Luka after all.

“It is clear that he is saying the same things as those he said in that statement,” the Prosecutor commented.
Witnesses Camil Vatrac, fourth indictee’s brother, and Mirzet Botic said that they heard about the attack on Serdari, but they were keeping guard at the time.

“I heard that ours were going to conduct some attack and that Besim Cehic organized that. I was not present there…When I returned from my duty at about 6 a.m., I found out about the attack. There were many soldiers, guys. There were many Croats from Bilice too,” Vatrac said.
 
Responding to questions by Menzil’s Defence attorney Adil Draganovic, the witnesses gave a detailed description of how the Bosniak population left their villages due to the attack, mistreatment and robberies by Serb forces and that they went to Vecici village, where between 1,500 and 2,000 of them were.

They said that they organised the defence of the village and that between 300 and 400 soldiers participated in it. Also, they spoke about military operations, adding that, when they ran out of food, they began a breakthrough, while the civilians stayed in the village.

The parties to the proceedings had no new proposals of evidence. A previous proposal by the Defence of the third indictee for examination of a protected witness was discussed in absence of the public, but the decision about it is not known.

According to the State Court’s schedule of hearings, this trial is due to continue on October 15.