The wall of silence about crimes in Bileca

In the first year of the war, more than 2,000 Bosniak and Croatian civilians were detained and abused in the area of municipality of Bileca. Nevertheless, 22 years later, only one person has been convicted for the crime committed in that municipality which is located in Eastern Herzegovina. 

Losing hope in the work of judicial institutions is just one of the reasons why survivors more and more decide to remain silent. They also cite threats or fear for their lives as reasons for why they do not speak up.

“You should know what you are talking about because you are always at the fingertips. Shut up and that’s it. You can only suffer more consequences,” said protected witness A-1as he recounted the threats he received, and emphasized that he reported them to the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).

Despite the reports given to the competent investigative institutions, there is still not a single indictment for threats which are addressed to witnesses.

Concussion from beatings

Several facilities for detention, including barracks, Public Security Station (SJB) and the Dormitory were formed in the municipality of Bileca during the war. More than 2,000 Bosniak and Croatian civilians who were arrested and detained passed through these facilities.

Mujo Tucakovic says that he was arrested in the area of Capljina in April 1992 and then detained in the military barracks in Bileca, where he stayed until mid-August 1992.

“They were hitting me on my back, head and legs with army boots, wooden and electric baton… Their abuse was immense,” said Tucakovic, adding that his eyesight was damaged because of the beatings.

Witness A-1 said that he was detained in the Dormitory in Bileca in June 1992. As he claims, he spent about one month there, and then he was transferred to the police station building where he spent another half a year.

“The first night when I was brought there, my hands were tied with barbed wire, I was kicked with feet, hands and iron bars. They broke my arm and leg. I had concussion,” the witness said, emphasising that his greatest humiliation was when he was forced to “lick the toilet”.

According to him, the toilet could not even be approached because 60 or 70 soldiers relieved themselves there. 

“They forced me to clean that hole with bare hands and then to lick it,” recalled the witness to whom the pseudonym A-1 is assigned. 

He said that during his detention he spent 123 days in a solitary cell. One night, they took him to the office, where they sprayed his eyes out of which he became blind.
   
Regarding people who were detained, physically and mentally abused him, the witness A-1 says that he know them from before. As he says, the threats that he received by phone were one of the reasons why he requested protective measures during the trial.

A-1 testified at the trial of Goran Vujovic, Miroslav Duka and Zeljko Ilic, who are charged with crimes committed in Bileca. According to the indictment of the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vujovic and Duka enabled and organized the detention of citizens of Bosniak and Croatian ethnicity in the SJB building and Dormitory in Bileca, where the detainees were mistreated, tortured and killed. Ilic is indicted for physical and psychological abuse, torture and murder.

Edin Bajramovic also testified at this trial, and he also reported that he received threats. Chairwoman of the Trial Chamber Minka Kreho, said on August 19 that the Court was informed that the witness Edin Bajramovic reported that he had received threats.

“He stressed out that he received threats by phone in relation to his testimony against the second indictee Duka. The first and the second time he reported those threats to the State Investigation and Protection Agency,” said Kreho.

During the trial, Bajramovic said that Duka abused him in the SJB building in Bileca in the second half of 1992.

“Dida, now I’ll break your nose, so you can remember me whenever you look in the mirror,” the witness said, quoting Duka’s words.

Witness Bajramovic said that Duka broke his nose twice again, and that his seven ribs were broken after he was beaten by the police officers.

Threats to witnesses

Despite what he survived and the threats he received, Bajramovic says that he still wants to speak publicly.

“No matter that they threaten me. I want to say publicly what I’ve survived. When God knows, the people should know, too”, said Bajramovic.

Unlike them, some witnesses do not want to speak publicly about what they have survived.

Andjelko Kvesic, president of the Croatian Association of Detainees of the Homeland War, said that about 60 Croatian civilians were detained in detention camps in Bileca. The majority of them were from Stolac, and they gave their statements to the investigating authorities at least three times.

“After they gave the statements, nobody sent them the feedback regarding what happened to their statements, nor did anyone do anything about it. Therefore, they consider it a waste of time. Recalling those days repeats their trauma and they don’t want to talk about it,” said Kvesic.

In addition, Kvesic says that a few days after they gave the statements, survivors could not sleep because they experienced certain psychological problems.

According to statements of the detainees, Kvesic says that it is known to him that there was sexual abuse too but no one wants to talk about it.

“I know of one case when they put one woman on the table and forced detainees to humiliate her. Detainees were forced to abuse her sexually, and all those who could not do it were violently abused physically,” said Kvesic.

Jasmin Meskovic, president of the Association of Detainees in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that a number of witnesses are still silent regarding crimes committed in Bileca.

“We have a problem with people who have suffered torture and rape regarding whether they will speak and testify. After they testify, they are left to the mercy of organised and unorganised groups and institutions, as they were left in 1992,” said Meskovic.

Despite the fact that he does not justify the silence, Meskovic concludes that he fully understands the concerns of witnesses for themselves and their families.

So far, only Krso Savic, former chief of the Security Services Centre (CSB) Trebinje has been convicted by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Savic was sentenced to 17 years for crimes committed in Bileca, Nevesinje, Gacko and Kalinovik.

According to the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, investigations against 12 people for crimes committed in Bileca are currently ongoing. And when it comes to threats to witnesses, not even a single indictment has been raised.