No Signs of Violence Seen

Esad Osmanbegovic said that, being a member of the Commission, whose task was to check the living conditions in prison, visited a facility in Hrasnica, where prisoners from Tarcin were held, in the fall of 1993.
 
“We spoke to the detainees. They complained about the duration of their detention, accommodation, health protection… I did not notice any signs of violence on them. I cannot say whether they were exhausted, because I too was skinny at that time. Everybody was. I know that the Red Cross helped a lot,” the witness said.
 
Osmanbegovic testified at the trial for war crimes committed in “Silos”, “Krupa” military barracks and “9. maj” school, which are charged upon Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic, as well as Nermin Kalember.
 
According to the charges, Hujic was Manager and Deputy Manager of “Silos” and Halid Covic performed the same functions. Mesanovic was one of the Deputy Managers of “Silos” and Manager of a detention camp in “Krupa” military barracks, Kalember was a guard in “Silos”, while the other indictees were members of civil, military and police authorities.
 
As he said, the Commission members went from Hrasnica to “Silos” prison in Tarcin, where they met Manager Becir Hujic. He said that the Commission members “had good co-operation with prison staff” and that they were given all the data they requested.
 
He said that prisoners, who were held in “Silos”, slept on wooden palettes covered with sponges and that they had a sufficient number of blankets, as well as a heating stove.
 
“They were allowed to receive visits by their relatives and get parcels. They had a generous help from the Red Cross. Each prisoner received a can of beef every day. I know that, in addition to regular meals, they would get an additional meal for performing labour,” he said.
 
Also, he said that the Manager told him that it had happened before that some units, which were not originally from that area, would come and arbitrarily take people away in order to perform labour. When asked by the Defence whether the prisoners complained to the Commission about being abused in the prison, the witness answered negatively.
 
“The real basis for detention of those persons was an act issued by the Crisis Committee, according to which they were put into a temporary isolation due to enemy activities. A court from Zenica conducted proceedings against 17 persons,” he said.
 
The witness confirmed that a report prepared by the Commission indicated that the prisoners were held in detention on the basis of the general act and that there was a suspicion that they committed crimes.
 
“As far as Tarcin is concerned, the situation related to jurisdiction over the prison was specific. A civilian body was its founder, but military bodies began to have more and more influence on the prison later on,” he said.
 
The trial is due to continue on July 10.