Grandfather’s Recollections about Mistreatment by Neighbours

Witness Emsud Cehajic said, at the trial of four indictees, who are charged with murders, rape and inhumane treatment, that his grandfather Vahid Cehajic specifically spoke about a night, when Sinisa Babic and his brothers-in-law came.

“He would repeatedly speak about the night, when Babic and the Bajics came to his place, asking for money, attacking him physically and threatening him that they would kill him if he told anyone about it. I heard that story for the first time at the age of seven. For as long as he lived my grandpa repeated that story, because he did not want me to forget what our neighbours did. I am now 27. My grandpa died two years ago,” the witness said.

He testified before the Cantonal Court in Bihac at the trial of brothers Predrag and Nenad Bajic, Mladenko Vrtunic and Slobodan Dragic, former members of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS.

The indictment charges them, under ten counts, with having committed murder of seven civilians, sexual and physical abuse and robbing in Humici, Pudin Han and Vojici villages, near Kljuc.

Witness Mido Bukvic recalled an event, which, in his opinion, may have been the reason for the murder of his best man Refik.

“Refik and I left the café together and headed home. A car was approaching us at high speed. We thought that it would run over us, so we jumped aside and lied down. The car slid off road. We ran towards it in order to offer help. When we opened the door, we saw a bomb and automatic rifle. Refik took that. We evacuated Predrag Bajic from the car. Another person was with him,” Bukvic said.

According to his testimony, Bajic returned in about half an hour and began shooting in the village. As he said, after that some soldiers came and gathered all men at one place in the village. They asked who had beaten Serb soldiers.
“Refik stepped out and said that he had done it. They then beat him up. A short time later Refik disappeared. We later found him dead,” Bukvic said.

Indictee Predrag Bajic objected to the witness’ statement, claiming that it did not happen in the way he described it and that his witnesses would confirm that.

The trial is due to continue on March 4.