Prisoners Beaten with Wooden Bats
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Poljakovic, former member of the Territorial Defence in Smoluca, said that Ilic brought masked soldiers two or three times, adding that they beat them every time an Azan was heard from a nearby mosque.
“He would ask us what the sound coming from the mosque was. I would say that it was an Azan. He always beat us during the Azan. Sometimes he grabbed us by our heads and bang them against the wall. This happened twice or three times during my detention,” Poljakovic said.
Prosecution witness Hazim Zukic confirmed that indictee Vaso Ilic beat prisoners, adding that he forced him to hit Nadil and other prisoners on their soles and backs with a wooden bat.
“If I did not hit them strong enough, like Vaso wanted, he would beat me. As far as I can remember, he came with other soldiers to Smoluca prison three times,” Zukic said.
The Cantonal Prosecution in Tuzla charges Milorad Cvijanovic, known as Micko, Milorad Cvijanovic, son of Milan, Svetomir Ilic and Vaso Ilic with crimes against prisoners in the Lukavac area in June and July 1992.
Aleksandar Jovic, who was a prison guard in Smoluca during the war, and Milorad Blagic, the then member of the Civil Protection Unit, faced each other at this hearing.
“I often visited Smoluca. Prisoners told me that a Micko, Sveto and Vaso used to beat them in the garage,” Blagic said.
Aleksandar Jovic denied his testimony, pointing out that he had never spoken to him during the war.
The trial is due to continue on December 30.
