Bosnian Croat Defendant Zelenika Helped Prisoners

Zelenika said that in the end of May 1992 he went to the Military infirmary in Mostar. He explained he never had a position of authority, nor could he issue orders to any member of CDF or prisoners in this object.
 
“My mother told me to be an ordinary soldier and help whoever I could, because that is my nature and my family’s nature,” Zelenika told the Bosnian court on Tuesday.
 
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Zelenika along with Ivan Medic, Srecko Herceg, Edib Buljubasic and Marina Grubisic-Fejzic, with crimes against Bosnian Serb civilians, who were detained in the Dretelj camp in 1992.

According the indictment Zelenika was an officer of the Croatian Defence Forces, Herceg was the commander of the Dretelj camp, Buljubasic was his deputy, while Medic and Grubisic-Fejzic were guards. The indictment specifies that they all took part in torture and forcing prisoners into hard labour, while several people died from the consequences of the abuse.
 
After prosecutor Remzija Samilagic asked the witness if he was a “higher officer in CDF”, Zelenika said he was not, backing his claim by the fact that he does not have a pension with benefits.
 
During his testimony, Zelenika explained that during the two months he was in CDF, he spent little time in the infirmary, because he was deployed to other locations. He also said that he never witnesses abuse of prisoners, and that beatings never took place.
 
“There were cases that some people said they were members of CDF and then arrested Serbs, detained them somewhere. Those were free shooters”, said Zelenika. He added his superior officer was Vinko Martinovic aka “Stela” who was sentenced to 18 years by The Hague tribunal.
 
During cross examination, Zelenika said he never saw defendant Herceg and that he did not know Grubisic-Fejzic.
 
The first witnesses for Zelenika also testified at this hearing. Janko Sobat told the Sarajevo court that he was detained in the Military infirmary in 1992 but was released after a day.
 
“I saw Ivan Zelenika by a car and he asked me why I was there. I said I didn’t know. He said he would check and after his return said: ‘Janko, you can go home’”, recalled the witness.
 
Second witness Milan Brkovic said that his brother and father were taken to the infirmary and that his father was released thanks to Zelenika, while Kata Maksic said her husband Slavko was also held there, but that nothing bad happened to him.
 
The trial will resume on December 17.