Prosecution Witness Describes Prisoner Abuse in Bileca

Bajramovic testified at the trial of Goran Vujovic, Miroslav Duka, and Zeljko Ilic. During the Bosnian war, Vujovic was the chief of the public safety station in Bileca, Duka was the police commander, and Ilic was a policeman.

Vujovic and Duka have been charged with enabling and organizing the detention of Bosniak and Croat civilians in the public safety station and student dormitory in Bileca. The indictment alleges that the detainees were murdered, tortured, and abused by Vujovic and Duka. Ilic is charged with having participated in the physical abuse, mental abuse, torture, and murder of detainees.

In his testimony, Mesud Bajramovic said that he was beaten by three times during one night at the Bileca police station. He also described his detainment and release.

“At around 1am policeman Nedjeljko Delic told me to accompany him to the guardroom. He and Milenko Stajic questioned me about the places I’d been hiding. They asked me the same questions about my cousins and neighbours…At around 4am Stajic took a knife, grabbed me by my ear and said, ‘Tell me or I’ll cut your ear off.’ After that everybody started hitting me, mostly on my head,” Bajramovic said.

According to Bajramovic, another policeman whose last name was Stevanovic, hit him in the face and on the nape of his neck using a knife handle.

“They took me to an isolation cell. At 6am Stevanovic came again and took me to the guardroom. Stajic asked me the same questions again. Stevanovic took a hand bomb from a closet and stuffed it into my mouth. I pulled the grenade with my hand. Then he [Stevanovic] hit me on the nape of my neck with it, making a cut on my head,” Bajramovic said. He said he was then returned to an isolation cell, and was taken out and beaten again two hours later.

Bajramovic said after spending six days in isolation, he was transferred to the dormitory in Bileca, where he saw approximately 60 to 80 other detainees. His two brothers and father, as well as many cousins and neighbours, were among them. According to his testimony, the conditions in the dormitory were very bad.

“We were accommodated in three rooms. There were no beds, so we slept on blankets that our family members had brought us. Some even slept in corridors. The police didn’t give us anything. They didn’t even give us food. There was water, but only cold water,” Bajramovic said.

Bajramovic said he stayed in the dormitory for fifteen days and that a handover over of weapons took place prior to his release.

“Miroslav Duka took three of us from the dormitory. Other policemen were present as well. Zeljko Ilic accompanied me to my house. I remember that he told me, ‘Mesud, if you have anything, give it to us. Let’s not waste time.’ I handed over my automatic weapon, which I had hid in a bush next to my house,” he said.

When asked by the defense whether Zeljko Ilic treated him correctly, Bajramovic answered affirmatively.

Bajramovic said he didn’t return home after leaving the dormitory, as his home had been burned. He stayed at his sister’s home in Bileca for a few days. Afterwards, his friends helped him travel to Montenegro.

He said his brothers and father were detained in the dormitory until October 1992.

The trial will continue on March 10.