Legitimate Disarming of Comrades

Milan Gorjanc, who made his findings at a request by the Defence of Veselko Raguz, said that Stolac town was not under the responsibility of the Fourth Battalion of “Knez Domagoj” Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, but the civilian authorities.
 
As he explained, the zone of responsibility of the Fourth Battalion covered the area from Osanici to Komanja Brdo, while Stolac town was not in the defence system of that unit.

“None of the documents, which I received for review, indicate that members of the Fourth Battalion acted outside their zone of responsibility during the summer of 1993. My opinion is that they did not have enough manpower to keep their own military lines, let alone act outside their zone of responsibility,” Gorjanc explained, adding that more than 50 percent of the Fourth Battalion members were Bosniaks.  

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Veselko Raguz, former Commander of the Fourth Battalion of “Knez Domagoj” Brigade of HVO, with having ordered and participated in the arrest and detention of civilians from Stolac and Capljina during the summer of 1993.  

He is on trial together with Ivo Raguz, former member of that Brigade, who is charged with having participated in the abuse of detainees.  

Court expert Gorjanc explained that one could see in the documents that Bosniak members of the 42nd Brigade of HVO had an intention to “conduct an attack against Croat members of that Unit and occupy the checkpoints in the Stolac surroundings, the bridge over Bregava and probably Mostar town itself” in April 1993.  

Gorjanc said that, for this reason, Croat members of that unit had a legitimate right to disarm the Bosniak members of that unit. According to the witness, the disarming could be done by “adjoined units” of that Battalion.  

“In any army in the world this would be called deserting. Had they not disarmed their former comrades, I suppose that the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, would have used the situation and tried to occupy the area. Only a crazy Serb would refrain from occupying Stolac!” Gorjanc said.

The trial is due to continue on November 13, when the Prosecution and Defence will present the remaining pieces of material evidence.