Policemen Powerless against Paramilitary Forces

Testifying at Radovan Karadzic’s trial, Momcilo Gruban, former Chief of a guard shift in Omarska detention camp, that he and policemen, who were under his command, tried to help hundreds of Muslim detainees “as much as we could within the frame of our authority”.

According to the witness’ testimony, in some cases “certain armed groups, which were not within the authority system, managed to enter the reception and investigation centre in Omarska and abuse detainees”. As he said, policemen were not able to confront those paramilitary soldiers.

In 2008 the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH, sentenced Gruban to seven years in prison for crimes against detainees in Omarska. He was released conditionally on December 31, 2010.  

The indictment charges Karadzic, former President of Republika Srpska, with the persecution of Muslims and Croats throughout BiH, which reached the scale of genocide in seven municipalities, including Prijedor. According to the charges, Serb forces unlawfully held thousands of Muslims in inhumane conditions in Omarska detention camp and killed, abused and tortured hundreds of detainees.

Gruban said that it was possible that inspectors, who interrogated detainees, used physical force in some cases, but detainees themselves confirmed that the examinations were conducted “in a correct manner in most cases”.

During the cross-examination Prosecutor Ann Sutherland said that detainees were taken out from Omarska and that nobody had seen them alive after that, but, without denying those allegations, Gruban said that, at the time he thought that those Muslims were released to liberty.  

Just like the previous witnesses, who testified in defence of Karadzic, Gruban said that only those who “participated in an armed rebellion” were held in Omarska.

When the Prosecutor said that he and his guards participated in the commission of crimes, the witness said that it was not true and that not a single name of the guards, who were members of his shift, was included in the list of perpetrators during the trial held in Sarajevo.  

The cross-examination of Gruban is due to continue tomorrow, February 20.  

Prior to his testimony, Dusan Mudrinic, wartime member of the Serb Defence Forces in Sanski Most, testified in defence of Karadzic. Mudrinic denied the accusations that those forces deported Muslims from that municipality and prosecutors’ allegations that he personally actively participated in those attacks.

Karadzic is also charged with genocide in Srebrenica, terror against civilians in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.