Most Difficult Conditions in Prison

As the trial for crimes in Sarajevo continues, the State Prosecution reads a statement by severely-ill witness, who said that, during her detention in “Viktor Bubanj” barracks she lived in extremely difficult conditions and that she was hit a few times.

Witness Stana Kekic said, in her statement given to the Prosecution of BiH in April 2009, that she was captured in her apartment in Dobrinja in May 1992 and that she was held in a nearby room for several days prior to being taken to “Viktor Bubanj” military barracks.
 
“My neighbour Stanisa was taken away with me. They tied his hands with a shoelace. One of the guards hit me on my back with a baton, because I wanted to untie Stanisa’s hands. He hit me on my back with the baton twice and slapped me,” Kekic said.
 
She said that she stayed in a room with 12 other women, adding that the hygiene conditions were so bad that all of them got lice and that detainees did not get enough food, so she lost 15 kilograms.
 
“On our way to the toilette, we had to walk behind each other, with our hands on our faces. If we turned around, we were either hit with a baton or slapped. I was punched or slapped several times, because I looked through a window,” Kekic said in her statement.
 
She said that she did not personally see other detainees being hit or raped, but one detainees did tell her that she was raped.  
 
The State Prosecution charges Ramiz Avdovic and Iulian-Nicolae Vintila with crimes committed at “Viktor Bubanj” detention and the central prison in Sarajevo. They are charged with having participated in the establishment and maintenance of a system for abuse of Serb civilians.
 
The Prosecution of BiH considers that all detained civilians were subjected to suffering and torture and that they were forced to perform hard labour. According to the charges, Avdovic was Commander of guards on the fifth floor of the District Prison in Sarajevo and former “Viktor Bubanj” military barracks, while Vintila was a cook and guard in the former barracks.
 
The trial is due to be continued on August 26, when the Defence of indictee Vintila will begin presenting its evidence.