A Deceased Person Admitted Murder

Witness Hamdija Paratusic said that, following an attack by Serb forces on Kozarac village on May 24, 1992, he ran away to the woods with his family, adding that he once saw Beslagic in the woods.
 
“Beslagic told me that he had seen Bozo’s son going towards the house. After that he went to their house and called his son by his name. Bozo opened the door. He had a rifle in his hand. He killed him out of fear and ran away,” Paratusic said.
 
The District Prosecution in Banja Luka charges Alukic and Hirkic, who were allegedly accompanied by seven other persons, with having killed Bozo Indjic and tried to kill two more civilians in that same way in Podgradje hamlet, near Prijedor. The indictment alleges that, on that same day Alukic participated, along with five other persons, in the murder of Ostoja Baltic on the trunk road between Prijedor and Banja Luka.
 
Second indictee’s brother Refik Hirkic testified at this hearing as well. He said that he lived in Kozarac and that he was member of the Territorial Defence in May 1992.
 
“When an attack on Kozarac began on May 24, 1992, most of us fled to Mount Kozara, where we hid deep in a forest known as Crni Jarak,” Hirkic said.
 
He said that, after the attack by Serb forces his brother and other Bosniaks ran away to the woods, where he worked as a cook, adding that he had never gone back to the village.
 
“We moved towards Croatia in September 1992. On our way to Croatia we met two Serbs. Those, who led our line of people, stopped and spoke to them. They passed by us. A short time later we were surrounded by soldiers. Five young men got killed and a few were wounded on that occasion. After that we continued our trip, but Serb soldiers caught up with us and captured some of us, while the others ran away,” Hirkic said.
 
The Defence invited former Territorial Defence member Sead Cirkin to testify at this hearing as well.
 
“When the attack on Kozarac began, I ran away with all the others and hid in a forest on Mount Kozara. While I was there, I did not see Alukic and Hirkic, because we stayed at different locations,” Cirkin said.
 
He said that he knew Bozo Indjic, whom he described as “lowering man”, who always had a gun, because he was a hunter.
 
“Helicopters landed on a meadow near Bozo’s house several times. Rumours said that they brought weapons. We were concerned about that. Some military units were situated in the vicinity of the house. An anti-aircraft cannon, which opened fire towards Kozarac, was installed in front of the house. Most of his closest neighbours were Bosniaks. Most of them were killed,” Cirkin said.
 
Cirkin said that he tried to flee to Croatia in late June 1992, but he was captured and taken to a detention camp, where he was tortured.  
 
The trial is due to continue on May 19.