Cutting a Prisoner’s Ear

‘When I heard that Dragan’s ear had been cut off, I reported it to Unit Commander Zulfikar Alispago, known as Zuka, who requested an explanation from Salcin. Salcin responded by saying: ‘I do not want him to queue for lunch with me. I will kill him the next time’,” witness Zijo Causevic explained.

Witness Causevic said that he was on Mount Igman as Commander of the Mine-Throwers Squad with “Zulfikar” Special Purposes Squad of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH.

The witness said that he saw captives on their return from works, adding that they looked beaten up, but they did not dare say who had done that to them. According to Causevic’s testimony, the captives were beaten in buildings on Mount Igman as well. When asked by State Prosecutor Vesna Budimir who was allowed to enter those buildings, the witness said that “Zulfikar, Juka, Nedzad Hodzic” could.

“Most complaints were against Nedzad Hodzic, but I am saying again that the captives were beaten at working locations more than in the buildings on Mount Igman,” Causevic said.

Zulfikar Alispago, also known as Zuka, is on trial before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for crimes in Trusina village, near Konjic.

According to the State Prosecution’s charges, Nedzad Hodzic and Dzevad Salcin, former members of “Zulfikar” Special Purposes Squad with the Main Command Headquarters of ABiH, tortured, beat and sexually abused captives, cut parts of their bodies off, intimidated them and participated in other inhumane acts on Mount Igman.

Witness Vladislav Andjelic told the Court that indictee Hodzic once hit him in his eye with his elbow on Mount Igman.

“He hit me in the eye. I felt pain. After that I was not able to open my eye for several days,” said the witness, who was detained as member of the Croatian Defence Forces, HOS, on Mount Igman.

He said that he was present when indictee Nedzad Hodzic and a group of other members mistreated witnesses B and C. After that they shot them in their legs.

“I personally witnessed the beating of B and C. This group of men hit them with their hands and legs,” the witness said.

He said that B and C were forced to have oral sex with each other, adding that they then shot them in their legs.

“Nedzad Hodzic told us to look down. All of a sudden I heard a gunshot. B was shot through his boot. After that they shot witness C in his leg in the same way,” Andjelic said.

He said that he did not know who shot at them, but all of them had guns.

Andjelic said that Dragan Vukovic, who was detained with him in the same room, told him that “Struja cut his ear”. The witness said that he found out later on that Struja’s full name was Dzevad Salcin.

When Kerim Celik, Defence attorney of Salcin, said that two persons had the same nickname at the time, the witness said that he did not know Struja, adding that, if there were “two of them, I can not confirm that it was the indictee”.

The trial is due to continue on December 19.