Beaten with Police Batons and Shovels

Testifying at the trial of Indira Kameric for crimes in Bosanski Brod, a protected State Prosecution witness says that he was beaten up at the Police Station and “Polet” football stadium every three or four days.

Protected witness IK-2 said that, after he had been captured by the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, in May 1992, he was detained in the Police Station basement and then transferred to “Polet” football stadium in Bosanski Brod, where he was beaten.  

“Two or three persons, whom they selected, were beaten up every day. I used to be beaten up every three or four days. They beat me with all sorts of objects, like police batons or shovels,” the witness said.
 
The witness said that he knew some of the guards in the old Police Station, adding that they were transferred to “Polet” stadium later on. He said that Indira was among them. IK-2 identified indictee Indira Kameric in the courtroom.

“At that time I considered her a military policewoman, who guarded us. I had known Indira Kameric from before, as we were from the same town. I knew that she worked with the municipality… She was a big girl with brown, slightly curved hair at the time,” the witness said, describing the indictee.  

Indira Kameric, former member of the 101st Bosanski Brod Brigade of HVO, is charged with having participated in the torture of Serb and Bosniak civilians and prisoners of war, who were held in the Police building and at the “Polet” stadium in 1992.  

The witness recalled having been present in Indira Kameric’s office following the death of Slavko Cerek, who died in the cell, where he too was held, due to the consequences of the beating.

“We were invited to Indira Kameric’s office in order to sign a paper, saying that he died a natural death… Indira said that we had to sign the paper, confirming that his death was natural, which was not true,” said IK- 2.

In a previous statement given at the Police Station in Brod, the witness did not mention having signed that paper.
 
“I stick to what I have said today. I was at the office for sure. Four or five of us were there. I cannot guarantee that I signed it,” IK-2 said.   

The Defence objected to his testimony about this event, given the fact that it was not mentioned in the indictment.   

Defence attorney Lejla Covic said that, in his statements given in 2006 and 2010, the witness did not mention the indictee. The witness said that he probably was not asked about it, but the Defence said that he was asked about Slavko Cerek’s death.
 
The witness recalled having heard a guard telling a female detainee: “Indira allowed us to take you away”, adding that the woman told them: “I have just been raped.”
 
The witness was presented with a statement from 2006, in which he said that two other women used to bring soldiers and that those women participated in sexual abuse.  

“They were lower ranking than Indira,” the witness said.
 
The trial is due to continue on April 30.