Inhumane Mistreatment in Breza

During the continuation of the trial of Hajrudin Dedic, a late Zenica Cantonal Prosecution witness’ statement, in which he said that he was beaten up in a police station building in Breza in June 1992, was read in the courtroom.

In his statement given to police investigators of the Zenica Doboj Canto, Makso Subotic said that he was captured, along with his neighbours from Duzice, Gornja Breza on June 10, 1992, and brought to the Police Station in Breza, where he was examined and beaten up.
 
Subotic said that several persons examined and beat him, but he singled out a man named Galib as the most brutal of all of them.
 
“After having been examined at the Station, we were transferred to ‘Udarnik’ warehouse, where I stayed for several days, and then to ‘Elektrotehna’ basement premises, where we recovered from the beating to some extent. I know that Zdravko Subotic died due to the beating. In March I was transferred to the Penal and Correctional Facility in Zenica, where I spent a year and a half. I can say that, while we were in Breza, they treated us in an inhumane manner, but I do not know the names of the people, who did it to us,” Subotic said in his statement.
 
The Zenica Cantonal Prosecution charges Dedic with having participated in the beating of Serb civilians while collecting illegal weapons in June 1992.
 
The indictment alleges that, on that occasion houses were searched, while local residents were unlawfully taken to the Police Station, where they were examined and beaten up. It further alleges that two people died due to the beating, while three received severe bodily injuries.
 
At this hearing the Cantonal Prosecution presented its material evidence, thus completing the Prosecution’s evidence presentation process.
 
Dedic’s Defence announced that it would invite five former policemen from Breza, who would speak about the indictee’s role in the events that happened on June 10, 1992, and that the indictee would testify in his defence as well.
 
The trial is due to continue on June 2.