Bosnian Serb ‘Didn’t Abduct Woman’s Husband and Son’

Witness Himzija Tvrtkovic told the court in Sarajevo on Tuesday that her husband and son were taken away from her village of Kabenik near Visegrad on June 12, 1992, and were never seen again.

“[The fighters] got off [a truck] near our homes, and the truck left towards the village. They all had guns. When the truck stopped, they put my husband and son in it,” said the witness.

She said that she did not see one of the defendants, Milos Pantelic, who she said she knew from childhood.

“I cannot say that he was there, because I did not see him,” said Tvrtkovic.

Responding to the prosecution, who said that she was scared when she saw the truck carrying soldiers and when her husband and son were taken, she repeating: “I did not see Pantelic committing any crime. I cannot be dishonest.”

Pantelic is charged, together with Predrag Milisavljevic and Ljupko Tasic, with with having participated in murders, forced resettlement, detention, torture and other inhumane acts against Bosniaks from Visegrad between April and June 1992.

The indictment says the offences were committed when Milisavljevic and Pantelic were police reservists in Visegrad and Tasic was serving with the Bosnian Serb Army.

Tvrtkovic also said that she did not know defendant Milisavljevic and asked the court not to call her to testify again because she is old.

The defence has now completed its case but the court will hear a final prosecution witness on March 11.