Taken away to Be Beaten

“Selman was the only person, who distributed duties to us. I do not know what his exact function was. He was appointed the chief, but I do not know when,” the witness said.

According to the charges, Busnov became Chief of the Public Safety Station, SJB, in Kladanj on June 1, 1992.

The witness said that indictee Osman Gogic was member of military police. “He used to come to police premises in Kladanj, where the Territorial Defence was situated as well,” the witness said.

Selimbasic said that he heard that they were accommodated in the educational workers’ building in Stupari (Kladanj municipality) but he did not know why.

Busnov and Gogic are on trial, along with Safet Mujcinovic, Nusret Muhic, Zijad Hamzic, Ramiz Halilovic, Nedzad Hodzic, Hariz Habibovic and Kahro Vejzovic, former members of the Territorial Defence and military and civilian police, for having committed crimes in the Kladanj area.

Following the examination of witness Selimbasic, Prosecutor Vedrana Mijovic read statements given by two witnesses, who died after the indictment had been filed. 

According to the statement by Vitomir Andric given to the Prosecution of BiH in 2011, Serbs, who were detained in the educational workers’ buildings, would look beaten up after having come back from their examinations. In his statement Andric said that he was taken to police premises in Stupari, where he was examined by indictee Mujcinovic and another police member. 

As indicated in his statement, during his examination he saw that indictees Habibovic and Vejzovic were beating Ladimir Dragic in the other part of the room. Andric said that Dragic was found dead in the educational workers’ building on the following day, adding that it was announced that he hanged himself.

If Andric was alive, the Defence of the indictees would face the witness with his statement given at the Police Station in Kozluk in 2005. Mujcinovic’s Defence attorney Emir Suljagic said that the witness said that he was not able to see who was beating Dragic, because the room was dark.

“Neither Safet nor his Deputy are mentioned here,” he said.

A statement given by late Rade Jovicic to the Prosecution of BiH in 2012 indicates that Mujcinovic and Rifet Kadric used to take Serbs out of the educational workers’ buildings. “They would come back after having been beaten up,” the witness said. 

Defence attorney Suljagic said that, in his previous statement given at the Police Station in Zvornik Jovicic did not mention that Mujcinovic used to take detainees away for examinations.

The trial is due to continue on May 16.