HOS Members Accused of Crimes Committed in Trnovo Face Trial
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Pivac testified at the trial of Edhem Godinjak, Medaris Saric, and Mirko Bunoza, former HOS soldiers who are charged with participating in a joint criminal enterprise with the aim of killing and detaining Serbs in villages in Trnovo.
The indictment stated that during the time the alleged crimes took place, Godinjak was Chief of the Public Safety Station in Trnovo, Saric was Commander of Territorial Defence in Trnovo, while Bunoza was Commander of Croatian Defense Forces units.
Pivac said that she saw those men in the village of Godinjske Bare in Trnovo.
According to her testimony, one of the men was named Merim. Merim approached her and asked her to put herself at the army’s disposal. Pivac said that she knew that he was an HOS supervisor, adding that Merim told her that he was going to establish a commando unit.
Pivac added that she had heard that defendant Edhem Godinjak was “in charge of the army.” Pivac had not spoken to him and didn’t know exactly what position he held, but she had seen him talk to Merim.
The defense responded by stating that the men on trial were not members of the HOS, but had happened to be wearing HOS uniforms at the time.
Pivac replied by saying that the defendants did not originally come from Trnovo and that they had introduced themselves as HOS members.
According to Pivac’s testimony, Merim was killed a month after their first contact.
“I saw his body briefly. I noticed a cross-like sign carved on his forehead,” she said.
Pivac added that shortly thereafter she went to Mount Igman, where units of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina were stationed.
The trial is scheduled to continue on February 17.
