Detainees Beaten to Death in Doboj

Witness Nadja Seric, who spent five months in the District Prison, said that, unlike the others, the indictee had never hit her, but, while climbing onto her bed in the prison cell, she looked through a window above the door and saw him hitting other detainees during their walk.
 
“He was more rigorous than others. In case a prisoner raised his head during the walk, Branislav would hit him with a baton,” Seric said.
 
Witness Sakib Hurtic said that he was transferred to prison by police vehicle in May 1992.
 
“The mentioned gentleman was at the reception desk. He broke my nose, two teeth and arcade bone on that occasion. He continued beating me with his hands, legs and baton until I came to room number five. Whenever he was on duty, he would either slap me or hit me with his leg. His brother Nedeljko never even touched me,” Hurtic said.
 
He said that, during the night guards Vukovic, Ninkovic and Radulovic took Marko Kikic, who had previously spoke to representatives of the Red Cross, out of his cell.
 
“I heard screams and questions: ‘What did you tell them’,” Hurtic said, adding that Kikic died due to injuries he got.
 
The witness said that a member of Red Berets, whose nickname was Riki Kerkez, and guards Vukovic, Radulovic and Ninkovic selected a group of detainees, who were then taken out of the prison. They have still not been found.
 
Ninkovic’s Defence attorney Branko Ristic said that Hurtic was not captured as civilian, but as a reserve policeman in Grapska village. The witness confirmed this allegation.
 
Ninkovic, former guard in the District Prison in Doboj, is charged with having participated in the torture and abuse of captured non-Serb civilians, which resulted in severe mental and physical suffering, bodily injuries and death, in the period from May 1992 to March 1993.
 
Pre-war policeman from Doboj Hasib Muratovic said that he was transferred to Doboj prison seven days after his arrest in Grapska on May 10, 1992.
 
“The guys, who guarded the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ordered us to take our clothes off. Ninkovic then pulled me and escorted me to room number 4. I am thankful for that, because some of those, who stayed outside, were carried into the building, while some could walk by themselves,” Muratovic said.
 
He said that he did not know who beat Avdo Kurtovic up in prison premises.
 
District Prosecutor Slavko Krulj presented him with his statement given during the investigation in April 2007, when he said that “Nikola Jorgic called detainees out and that Ninkovic hit Avdo Kurtovic with his hands, legs and elbow in his spine. The witness said that he stuck to his statement given at the hearing today.
 
Sejfudin Suljic from Bukovacke Civcije village said that, upon his arrival in the prison, the indictee hit him on his back with a baton and that he did not beat him after that.
 
Witness Mustafa Kovacevic said that he had known detainee Jozo Matanovic, who was killed, since childhood.
 
“Ninkovic pushed Matanovic back into the cell. I could not recognise him. His face was distorted. He asked for water. Half an hour later he died. Blood began pouring out of his mouth and nose. That is how he died,” Kovacevic said.
 
Witness Fadil Ahmic said that Matanovic died on June 5, 1992.
 
“He died in front of my eyes. Ninkovic brought him. He was not in our cell before that. I brought him water,” said Ahmic. While being examined by the Defence, Ahmic said that the indictee told him that “the same thing could happen to me, because I did not stand up and look down.”
 
Kovacevic and Ahmic said that the indictee did not beat them.
 
The trial is due to continue on September 12.