Ridiculed While Being Forced to Have Sexual Intercourse

Testifying behind a curtain, protected witness AB-2 said that he was captured in Novi Grad village, Odzak municipality, in May 1992 and detained in the school building in Odzak together with between 600 and 700 men.

According to his testimony, they were detained by members of the 102nd Odzak Brigade with the Croatian Defence Council, HVO.

“During my 62-day detention, I was beaten four or five times a day on 50 days. I was 20 years old at the time. I could not even imagine that people could treat other people in such a bad manner,” witness AB-2 said, adding that indictee Tolic abused and beat him “with all sorts of objects” on several occasions.

AB-2 particularly remembered a day, when he was ordered to go to the classroom.

“Stoja was lying there. She was naked. I did not know her. They say that she had mental problems. They said – let us see how you, Serbs, do that. Golubovic and Tolic forced me to lick Stoja’s genitals. I had no choice but do it,” witness AB-2 recalled, adding that guards were not satisfied, so they forced them to switch the roles.

As he said, the woman named Stoja was not able to do what they told her to do due to his impotence.

“I could not…and they laughed. After that Tolic hit me with his leg, because they were not happy with the outcome,” the witness recalled.

The Defence said that, in a previous statement the witness did not mention that indictee Tolic forced him to do that. The witness responded by saying that what he said today was true and that he had given several statements, so he may have omitted some things.

Witness AB-2 said that, besides Tolic, whom he recognised in the courtroom, and Golubovic, guards Ibe, Ferid Halilovic, Nina and Adisa were present as well.

AB-2 said that he was transferred from Odzak to Novi Grad, where he was beaten by Tolic again. After that he was transferred to Bosanski Brod.

Tolic, former member of the 102nd Odzak Brigade of HVO, is charged with having participated in the abuse of Serb detainees in the Odzak and Bosanski Brod area from May to October 1992.

Second State Prosecution witness Nikola Teofilovic told the Court that, during his detention in Strolit factory in Odzak, Svetozar Deronjic, known as Ceto, was carried into his prison cell, adding that he died during the night due to consequences of beating.

Teofilovic said that he saw Josip Tolic, Anto Golubovic and Ferid Halilovic hitting prisoner Rade Tomanovic, adding that Halilovic was hitting him with a rifle butt, while Tolic gave them his handcuffs so they could tie him to a pole in the school gym.

The Defence said that, in a previous statement Teofilovic said that Jurica Bozic was among them as well and failed to mention Ferid Halilovic. The witness said that he did not know why he omitted Bozic today and Halilovic in the previous statement.

Witness Teofilovic said that he had permanent consequences due to having been hit by Tolic, but the Defence said that, in a statement given in 1995 the witness mentioned Omer and Ibe, but not Tolic, as the persons, who had caused injuries to him.

“One cannot always remember all the details,” witness Teofilovic said, adding that his memory was better now than it was in 1995.

He said that, during his detention in Bosanski Brod he was taken to other locations in order to dig trenches and that he was wounded at those locations twice.

The trial is due to continue on February 6.