Examination in Manjaca, Witnesses Lying

Witness Dobrijevic confirmed that he investigated someMuslim detainees, but he denied having beaten and tortured them, saying that the witnesses’ statements were “lies” and claiming thathe was mixed up with somebody else.

According to the indictment, which charges Karadzic with the persecution of Muslims and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sanski Most was one of the seven municipalities, where the persecution reached the scale of genocide.

During the direct examination Dobrijevic denied that persecutions happened, claiming that non-Serb civilians left Sanski Most voluntarily. Prosecutor Lena Pelic presented the witness with a report by the Police Station in Sanski Most, where he worked, about a large number of civil victims and severe destruction in villages in those municipalities during operations conducted by Serb forces.

Dobrijevic expressed a suspicion in the authenticity of that document, refusing to comment it.

While confirming that he examined arrested Muslims in improvised detention units in Sanski Most, Dobrijevic said that most of them were detained for justified reasons.

According to the witness, there was evidence that they possessed illegal weapons and that they participated in armed uprising. When asked by the Prosecutor why they were not charged and brought before court, Dobrijevic was not able to give a clear answer.

Karadzic’s witness denied Prosecutor Pelic’s suggestion thathe divided detainees into “politicians, extremists and those whowere not welcome” and that many of them were transferred to Manjaca detention camp.

However, he said that it was true that he went to Manjaca to examine detainees.

The Prosecutor quoted statements by Hasan Jakupovic and Adil Draganovic, who said that Dobrijevic beat Muslims up. Also, Jakupovic said thathe took 15,000 German marks from him in October 1992 for securing a seat in a convoy and release to liberty for him.

Dobrijevic denied that too, adding that he would sue Jakupovic for telling lies.

Prosecutor Pelic presented the witness with a letter by Danilusko Kajtez to authorities in Sanski Most, in which he admitted having participated in the shooting of 12 Muslims near Skrljevita village on November 2, 1992. In his letter Kajtez pointed out that “Mile and the other inspectors know this”.

However, Dobrijevic responded by saying that he was not the Mile he mentioned, adding that Kajtez stood trial for that crime.When the Prosecutor said that it happened only in 2006, the witness confirmed her allegation. Danilusko Kajtez, who changed his name to Nikola Kovacevic, was sentenced by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to 12 years inprison for having committed crimes against humanity in Krajina.

The trial of Karadzic, who is also charged with genocide in Srebrenica, persecution of Muslims and Croats in six other municipalities, which reached the scale of genocide, terror against civilians in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage, is due to continue on Monday, December 9.