No Information about Abuse of Detainees

Testifying at the trial for crimes in Hadzici municipality, a State Prosecution witness says that he has got no information about the abuse of detainees in the “Silos” and “9. Maj” school buildings.

Witness Aziz Fiso told the Court that, in the spring of 1992 he participated in the establishment of the Crisis Committee of Hadzici municipality and became its member. According to his testimony, the Crisis Committee consisted of 16 members and was chaired by Mustafa Djelilovic.
 
Fiso explained that the Crisis Committee was situated on the first floor of “9. maj” school building in Pazaric, while the Police Station was relocated from Hadzici to the Fire Brigade Station in Tarcin and Cultural Center in Pazaric.
 
“On the basis of discoveries by local residents and shepherds, Serb forces began grouping themselves on Prehulja hill, where they brought all of their weapons as well. Police forces, which were accompanied by local residents, who became members of the Territorial Defence later on, undertook reconnaissance of the area. A conflict then occurred. Two policemen were wounded in it,” Fiso said, adding that two Serb persons were captured on that occasion.
 
The witness said that police obtained information from the captives that “each and every Serb was armed”.
 
“The Crisis Committee and police made a decision to conduct disarmament,” Fiso said, explaining that the local population in Pazaric was disarmed first. He said that about 100 persons were arrested during the operation.
 
The disarmament operation then continued in Tarcin, where between 300 and 400 people were arrested. Fiso said that all of the prisoners were armed.
 
According to the witness, the captives were taken to “9. maj” school building and the Cultural Centre in Tarcin, where refugees were accommodated later on, while the captives were transferred to “Silos”.
 
“The Crisis Committee did not render that decision. I think that the decision was made by late Refo Tufo,” Fiso said, adding that the prisoners were questioned about weapons but he knew nothing about the use of force.
 
He said that Becir Hujic, Halid Covic and Serif Musanovic were among the managers and guards in “Silos”.
 
Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember are on trial for crimes committed in the “Silos” detention camp, “Krupa” military barracks and “9. maj” school building.
 
They are charged with having participated, in the period from May 1992 to January 1996, in a joint criminal enterprise within which they committed crimes against civilians and prisoners of war in several buildings in the Hadzici area.
 
As he continued testifying, Fiso said that he used to come to “Silos” and that he considered that the prisoners were not held in very good conditions, so he requested higher instances to relocate them and improve the conditions.
 
Fiso mentioned that exchanges of prisoners were organised with the aim of finding the best solutions for “Silos”. 
 
“I know that men aged between 20 and 55, as well as two women, were held in ‘Silos’. (…) I know that they were taken to other locations in order to perform labour but I considered that it was better for them to go outside than stay inside that concrete building,” Fiso said.
 
The witness said that prisoners from Pazaric were relocated to “Silos” for security reasons, because “a Serb grenade” had hit the school building, where they were held. He said that the Crisis Committee was situated in that same school.
 
The witness said that the “Krupa” building was a warehouse, adding that he did not know whether anybody was held there. 
 
The cross-examination of this witness is due to take place on April 24.