¸Musala School Trial Opens

Ex-Bosnian Croat fighter Pero Jozic testified he was arrested in May 1993 and taken to Musala where he stayed for five months.
 
“There were 36 of us, Serbs on the top floor and us Croats downstairs. Ramo Zilic guarded us and two men called Cibo. Ramo was among the loudest,” said Jozic.
 
He described how he was punished for bringing food to an inmate called Juro Rajic.
 
“I gave him an apple. Ramo saw me and hit me on the buttocks. That was the only time,” said Jozic.
 
Witness Goran Karlusic said he met Zilic when he was detained in the Musala prison, but testified he did not know Gakic.
 
“There were people in Musala when we came. Serbs on the floor and us in the hall. There were 300 men in total. We ate rice and some bread. They bathed us in cold water. Once Zilic bathed us and took us outside. Just once. As far as I am concerned, everything was ok, except the bathing”, said Karlusic.
 
Cmiljan Tomic said that during his detention in Musala in 1993 Zilic took him with other prisoners and ordered him to do push-ups. “There were older people, and when one could not do push-ups, he would hit him on the buttocks,” said Tomic who could not recall Tomic.
 
Former Bosnian Army soldiers Ramo Zilic and Esad Gakic were indicted for inhumanely treating prisoners held at a school in Konjic.
 
Witness Ibrahim Halebic, a former Bosnian Army member, said he met Zilic in Musala prison, while he knew Gakic from before the war. He said both defendants worked as guards.
 
When asked if he saw abused prisoners, Halebic testified he did not. “I heard stories, but I saw nothing,” said Halebic.
 
Zilic’s lawyer Dusko Tomic asked the witness how his client was dressed, but Halebic did not know.
 
“As far as I know, all guards were in civilian clothing. Ramo had a weapon. He took it when it was his shift and returned it when it was over. I heard storied about beatings, but I never heard Ramo did it, and I never saw him hit a man,” said Halebic.
 
He added he didn’t see Gakic, since they worked opposite shifts.
 
Witness Pasan Sirbegovic said that he worked in the cafeteria in the Musala school.
 
“I met Ramo in school, he worked as security. He never had a gun, or knife or bat. I never heard he abused or tortured anyone,” said Sirbegovic and added he heard nothing like that about Gakic as well.
 
Witness Fadil Cukle said that he worked as a guard in Musala in 1995, but could not recall if the two defendants were members of the military police.
 
The trial continues on January 23.