Beating in Kula

Witness Salko Zolj told the District Court in Eastern Sarajevo that he was detained in Kula in May 1992 and that he was beaten up until he lost consciousness.
 
“They hit me with different types of objects. One of them was uniformed, while the other was dressed in civil suit. They continued beating me until I fainted. When I woke up, I was covered with blood. They ordered me to wipe the blood,” Zolj recalled.
 
The witness said that, one or two night later he was lined up together with other prisoners and that a man named Enver told him that the man, who was standing on the side, was Luka Majstorovic.
 
“He was standing on the side. I did not dare turn around. I do not remember his face. I glimpsed at him and noticed that he was a corpulent man,” Zolj said.
 
As he said, following the lining up, he was taken to another building, where nobody beat him. He was exchanged 12 or 13 days later.
 
The witness pointed out that he heard people commenting, while being taken for an exchange, that they were lucky, because Luka Majstorevic accompanied them, as this meant that nobody would “hurt” them.     
 
The indictment alleges that Majstorovic, former investigator, treated a Bosniak civilian in an inhumane manner and intentionally caused bodily and mental suffering of that person in the Kula Penal and Correctional Facility.
 
During the war Majstorovic was an operational officer with the Criminal Service of the Public Safety Station in Novo Sarajevo.
 
Testifying for the District Prosecution in Eastern Sarajevo, second witness Latif Hadzajlic said that Luka Majstorovic conducted an informative interview with him in Kula and that he was then released home.
 
“He told me to stay at home and not go far away. The interview was conducted in a correct manner,” Hadzajlic said, adding that he was at Luka’s office once again after a pistol had been confiscated from him, but he was released following that interview as well.
 
Responding to the Defence’s questions, the witness said that he knew Luka Majstorevic’s name, because he introduced himself. Hadzajlic said that he was at home until May 16, 1992 and that he was then expelled to Dobrinja neighbourhood, Sarajevo. 
 
Third witness Zijad Sadija said that he was beaten up in Kula on May 4, 1992.
 
“They beat us at the entrance to Kula prison. We were turned towards the wall, while they were hitting us on our backs with rifles. I was not the only one who was beaten. They beat all the people who were there,” Sadija recalled, pointing out that they took them into Kula after having beaten them up and that they confiscated their money and documents.
 
The witness said that, while they were searched, Luka’s name was mentioned. Somebody said “Luka, please”, Sadija said.
 
The witness further said that he was transferred from Kula to a school gym in Pale, where his skull cracked and all of the ribs were broken due to the beating.
 
“While I was in Pale, they mentioned Luka Majstorovic in the context of the examination of prisoners from Kula,” Sadija said, adding that he was exchanged on May 19.
 
The trial is due to continue on October 1.