Wounding and Murders in Youth Centre

Robert Kristo said that he lived in Poculice village, Vitez municipality until April 16, 1993, when the village was attacked. He was then taken, together with his family and other neighbours, to neighbouring Prnjavor village and detained in the Youth Centre.

Responding to a State Prosecution’s question, the witness said that he was sure that he was held in Prnjavor Center, adding that he had not heard about the Youth Centre in Poculice.
 
“The Centre had metal doors. They would lock us with chains and padlocks. It was dark. There was some music podium and some blankets on the floor. There was no water. We urinated into a metal barrel,” the witness recalled.
 
As he said, five or six days later they were transferred to another village near Vitez. According to his testimony, women and children were separated and detained in Ruza Jurcevic’s house, while around 60 men were held in the Centre.
 
The witness said that Zeljko Papic stayed in the Centre after he had left, adding that Papic told him, after the war, that he was wounded, just like a few other people, and that three people lost their lives in the Centre.
 
“He was wounded through the closed door. There was a quarrel outside. The guards did not allow someone to enter. There was shooting,” Kristo said, adding that Papic told him that they received medical assistance only two or three hours later.
 
Responding to a Defence’s question, the witness said that he did not remember exactly how many guards there were and that he heard that one of them was nicknamed “Lepina”.
 
The State Prosecution charges Coloman, former member of the Reconnaissance Squad with the Seventh Muslim Brigade of ABiH, who was allegedly armed, with having come in front of the Centre in Poculice village, Vitez municipality, where Croat civilians were held, on April 24, 1993. He allegedly opened a burst of fire from an automatic rifle, killing three and wounding nine persons. 
 
A statement given by Sofija Brkovic was read at this hearing. Brkovic was not able to appear in court due to illness. In her statement given to the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, in 2007 she said that she was held in the Youth Centre in Poculice together with five other women.
 
Brkovic said that she heard people quarrelling in front of the Centre and somebody saying: “Where are those Ustashas of yours? We want to slaughter them”. As read in the courtroom, she then heard a female voice, begging a man not to shoot. After that she heard shooting, which wounded her, Kata Ceko, the other women and a few men, while three people were killed.
 
This witness said that she was transported, along with the other prisoners, to a hospital in Zenica, where she underwent surgery.
 
Coloman’s Defence said that, considering the witness’ age, it did not object to reading of her statement in the courtroom, adding that it would have questioned her about the female voice she heard in front of the Centre.
 
The trial is due to continue on October 31.