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Muhamed Nogo, former Chief of Staff of the Eight Mountain Brigade with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, said that Hodzic, a former member of the “Zulfikar” Unit with ABiH, tried to be distinct.
“He liked to stand out, show off…He never went that far as to attack somebody,” said Nogo, whose Brigade was situated on Mount Igman, just like the “Zulfikar” Unit.
According to the witness’ testimony, the indictee was rather short and skinny, which could be seen on a recording played in the courtroom at the Defence’s request. Some of the detainees, who said that Hodzic abused them on Mount Igman in the first half of 1993, described him as a corpulent man with a scar on his head.
“He did not have a scar,” the witness said.
Some documents presented to the witness indicated that Serb detainees were taken from Silos and Krupa, Hadzici municipality, to Mount Igman in order to perform labour for ABiH. They were allegedly guarded by military police.
The witness said that they were held in “Mraziste” hotel, as well as a ground-floor room in “Igman” Hotel, which had a window. Testifying at previous hearings, Prosecution witnesses said that this was a fallout shelter of “Igman” Hotel.
The witness said that Hodzic could not enter the room, where the prisoners were held, without getting permission from the Commander. The witness said that he had not heard about mistreatment of prisoners, adding that they were treated in “a very correct and humane manner”.
Hodzic is on trial, along with Dzevad Salcin, known as Struja, former member of “Zulfikar” Unit, for having beaten, tortured and sexually abused Serb and Croat prisoners on Mount Igman in the first half of 1993.
Witness Nogo said that he joined another brigade and left Igman in the first half of April 1993 and that he heard that Struja had cut a part of prisoner Dragan Vukovic’s ear. As he said, in addition to the indictee, there was another soldier on Mount Igman, whose nickname was Struja.
“People said that Struja did it. I do not know which one it was,” the witness said.
According to the charges, indictee Salcin cut a part of prisoner Vukovic’s ear in May 1993.
The trial is due to continue on November 6.
