Deficiencies on Central Prisons Fifth Floor
This post is also available in: Bosnian
Esad Osmanbegovic, former Manager of the Central Prison, said that he did not know why they were detained.
The fifth floor was not under our responsibility, the witness said.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH, alleges that Serb civilians from Sarajevo were unlawfully detained on the fifth floor of the District Prison and in the military prison in former Viktor Bubanj military barracks, where they were beaten up and tortured.
According to the Defences material evidence presented at the previous trial, Ismet Bajramovic, known as Celo, who died in 2008, was Chief of military police.
When asked by the Defence if he heard the detainees screaming due to being beaten up, the witness said that he did not have a chance to hear that.
As he said, Osmanbegovic addressed civil authorities and the Territorial Defence exclusively in regard to the fifth floor, presenting the deficiencies and negativities. He said that he once met Bajramovic, who told him: You are writing, Manager, you are writing. He said this in a threatening tone, he said.
The witness testified at the trial of Ramiz Avdovic and Iulian Nicolae-Vintila, whom the Prosecution of BiH charges with having participated in the establishment and maintenance of a system for abuse of detained Serb civilians in the second half of 1992.
According to the charges, Avdovic was Commander of Guards on the fifth floor of the District Prison and military prison in the former Viktor Bubanj military barracks, while Vintila was a cook and guard in Viktor Bubanj.
Considering the fact that the indictment alleges that the premises were overcrowded with detainees, Defence attorney Vlado Adamovic asked the witness if the related prescribed standards were fulfilled in the Central Prison. The witness responded by saying: I do not even think that they are fulfilled today.
Osmanbegovic said that excessive use of force by prison guards did not result in criminal processing of those guards in the conditions of peace.
As far as I know, nobody was criminally prosecuted, the witness said.
The trial is due to continue on June 17.
