Audio Recordings of Testimony in Lukic Case Played at Krsmanovic Trial

The audio recording featured the two witnesses, WG-42 and WG-24, describing the murder of Bosnian men on the bank of the river Drina and more than 70 Bosnian civilians being burned to death in a house in Bikavac, as per the commands of Serb paramilitary leader Milan Lukic.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina has charged Krsmanovic, a former member of the Second Prodrinjska Light Infantry Brigade of the Army of Republika Srpska, with participating in the Bikavac fire, the murder of civilians in the “Varda” factory, as well as other counts of murder, rape, and torture.

The ICTY found Milan Lukic guilty of similar crimes in 2009, and sentenced him to life in prison. Other accomplices connected to Milan Lukic include Sredoje Lukic, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for crimes committed in Visegrad. Mitar Vasiljevic was not charged with crimes committed in Bikavac, but was sentenced to 15 years for other crimes related to the war.

In the audio recording of her testimony, witness WG-42 said that while standing on a balcony in the neighbourhood of Dusce in Visegrad, she saw Milan Lukic separate several of her Bosnian neighbours in the “Varda” Factory.

WG-43 said Lukic first drove her husband and two other men towards the town. When he returned, he picked up five of her neighbours and drove them to the Drina river bank. Lukic then killed them.

“He walked behind them with a rifle. They left their cigarettes, their keys…He forced them to walk towards the Drina river bank and then killed them, one by one. Gunfire was heard afterwards. Ibrisim’s daughter was shouting, ‘father, father.’ He turned around,” WG-42 said.

In the audio recording of WG-24’s testimony, she said that she used to work at the “Varda” factory, and that she saw Milan Lukic take seven of her colleagues to the Drina river bank. She said that “a huge burst of gunfire” was heard from that direction.

She also described how more than 70 people were burned alive in a house in Bikavac in June 1992, while she was hiding in a house nearby.

“Somebody knocked at the door at around 2 o’clock…Zehra Turjacanin was standing at the door. She was burnt, her hair was totally burnt, her neck, her hands…She said that she jumped out and fled and that more than 70 people were set on fire. She said that Milan Lukic did that,” said WG-24.

WG-24 recalled an interview Turjacanin gave to journalists some time later.

“She [Turjacanin] said that Milan Lukic, Mitar Vasiljevic and Sredoje Lukic did that and that the three others were still kids,” WG-24 said.

The defense had previously requested that the ICTY provide audio recordings of the testimonies previously given by WG-42 and WG-24, since they did not mention Krsmanovic during the Milan Lukic trial.

State Prosecutor Mirko Lecic said that at the ICTY the witnesses were asked about Milan Lukic, and were not asked who had accompanied him.

Lecic pointed out that when the witnesses described what they saw or heard at Bikavac, they mentioned that Milan Lukic and others were involved.

The trial is scheduled to continue on February 17.