Mistreatment in “Silos”

Witness Nenad Kostic, who was taken away and detained in “Silos” in May 1992, told the Court that he was mistreated and beaten during his detention in that facility. As he said, a guard named Kalember “often mistreated me mentally”.

“He would force me to come in front of the prison, stand, kneel and bow down, as if I was performing a Muslim prayer,” the witness said, explaining that Kalember never physically mistreated him.

When asked by the Defence of Nermin Kalember why he failed to mention having been mistreated by the indictee in his statement given in 1996, Kostic said that he was mentioning Kalember, because he was indicted, adding that whatever he said today was true.

Kalember is charged, together with Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic and Serif Mesanovic, with crimes committed in “Silos” detention camp, “Krupa” military barracks and “9. maj” school building.

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, while Kalember was a guard in “Silos”. The other indictees were members of civil, military and police authorities.

The witness said that, during a mass beating in “Silos” two of his teeth were broken and that he was beaten up in the Manager’s office the following day.

“They hit me with wooden bars. I still have scars. This happened in the Manager’s office but he was not present at that moment,” Kostic said.

As he said, in late 1992 Kostic and about 100 other detainees were transferred to “Krupa”. He said that detainees were taken to other locations in order to dig trenches and that he was wounded while digging trenches in the Ilidza area.

“I was digging near the Agricultural Faculty in Ilidza when a sniper bullet hit me. They took me to a dispensary in Hrasnica and then to a hospital in Suhodol. After that I was taken back to ‘Krupa’,” said that witness, who was released from detention on January 27, 1996.

Kostic said that all the population was armed on the eve of the war and that some weapons were brought to his garage as well. When asked by the Prosecution of BiH whether he was examined during his detention, he answered affirmatively, adding that an indictment was once read to him, but he did not stand a trial.

Kostic testified from the United States via video link.

The trial is due to continue on October 30.