Prosecution Witnesses Additionally Examined by Chamber
Testifying at the trial of Dragan Sekaric for crimes in Visegrad and Gorazde, witness Dzenita Muhic says that her father and brother were taken away and that she found her mothers body in their family house in Dusce village in May 1992.
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Testifying at the trial of Dragan Sekaric for crimes in Visegrad and Gorazde, witness Dzenita Muhic says that her father and brother were taken away and that she found her mother’s body in their family house in Dusce village in May 1992.
The Trial Chamber invited the State Prosecution witness, who was examined on July 10, to appear again, so it could ask her some additional questions.
Muhic repeated that Milan Lukic drove her father and brother away in their family car and that he returned, later on, in another car, which was of a brighter colour. In her statement to the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, she said that it was a “Skoda”.
Responding to the Trial Chamber’s questions, she confirmed that Lukic came out of the vehicle, that five soldiers kept watch and that she watched that from her aunt’s house.
“I remember well that the vehicle had bright colour, that it was old and noisy,” Muhic said, pointing out that she did not see the soldiers leaving the house following her mother’s murder.
The indictment alleges that Sekaric, who was accompanied by Lukic and other soldiers, came in front of the witness’ house, requesting them to give them all money and other valuables.
The indictment alleges that, when the civilians loaded the stuff, one of the soldiers ordered the witness’ father and brother to get into a car and drove them in an unknown direction. According to the charges, they returned in the evening hours and killed the witness’ mother.
The Hague Tribunal sentenced Lukic to life imprisonment for having committed crimes in Visegrad.
Witness Muhic said that she found her mother’s body on the first floor, in the corridor, and that she called an ambulance and police, but only the ambulance came a few hours later.
“Her entire head was covered with blood. (…) Everybody said that there was a bullet in her forehead and that she did not show any signs of life,” the witness said, confirming that she was buried on May 20, 1992.
Responding to a question by judge Zoran Bozic, the witness said that people rumoured, later on, that those soldiers were “the Avengers” and that “Seka was even worse than Lukic”.
The Hague Tribunal sentenced Lukic to life imprisonment for crimes committed in Visegrad.
Sekaric, a former member of the Territorial Defence, TO, and “Osvetnik” paramilitary formation, is also charged with having participated in an attack on Lozje village, Gorazde municipality, as well as the murders, rape and physical abuse of non-Serb civilians in Visegrad.
Witness S-2, who previously testified in absence of public, testified at this hearing at a request by the Court. During the hearing today she spoke about the taking away and murder in the Zukic family house.
“Dragan Sekaric said that he participated in that event in the Zukic family house, in taking the husband and son away, taking things away and the murder of Mrs. Zukic,” S-2 said.
The witness said that she had never told him that she was there and that she saw the events that took place in front of the Zukic family house. She pointed out that, one day after having seen soldiers in front of the house, she saw Behija’s dead body.
The trial is due to continue on January 12.
