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Martinovic, former Commander of the Croatian Defence Forces, HOS, in Mostar, said that military policemen arrested Serbs in that town and took them to the military dispensary. He mentioned that he too stayed in that building, but he did not have any contacts with the detainees.
“Several policemen participated in the arrests of those people. They had a list of weapons. I do not know exactly what it was, but they used that list in their work. It seems to me that one or two women were arrested as well, but I know nothing else, because I did not conduct the arrests…They arrested my brother-in-law as well. When they did it, I dismissed all of them,” the witness said.
Martinovic said that the detainees were held on the ground floor of the military dispensary, but he had never heard that rape or murder was committed in those premises.
In 2006 the Hague Tribunal sentenced Martinovic to 18 years in prison for war crimes against Bosniaks in Western Herzegovina in 1993 and 1994. After having served two thirds of his sentence, he was released to liberty.
Martinovic testified in defence of Edib Buljubasic, who is charged, along with Ivan Zelenika, Srecko Herceg, Ivan Medic and Marina Grubisic-Fejzic, with having committed crimes in Dretelj in 1992.
The Prosecution of BiH alleges that was a HOS officer, Herceg was Commander of Dretelj, Buljubasic was Deputy Commander of the military barracks in Dretelj, while Medic and Grubisic-Fejzic were former guards.
When asked by indictee Buljubasic if he knew that some witnesses said that Martinovic had brought them to Dretelj, the witness said that it was a lie.
“I never even entered Dretelj. I went to Capljina for a cup of coffee, but I never even entered Dretelj and Gabela prisoners,” he said.
Also, he said that he was the only Commander in Mostar and that he used to receive orders from Ljubuski. When asked by the Defence of indictee Zelenika if the military dispensary had its manager, the witness answered negatively, confirming that Zelenika was not its manager.
“As member of HOS, he had some tasks related to cars and food,” Martinovic said, explaining that Zelenika did not have any military rank.
When asked by the Prosecution if it was true that he examined witness B, while Zelenika was beating him, in the military dispensary premises, the witness said that it was not true.
The trial is due to continue on July 1.
