Witnesses Describe Lukic’s Involvement in Civilian Abuse in Kljuc

Milan Lukic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with the murder and mistreatment of civilians as well as other crimes allegedly committed in the municipality of Kljuc in July 1992. Lukic initially stood trial with Predrag Bajic, who was sentenced to 13 years after having plead guilty.

The witness, Mirsad Nezic, told the court that Lukic forced himself into his home in the village of Pudin Han, near Kljuc, in July 1992. He was accompanied by Predrag Bajic. Nezic said Lukic kicked him.

“I didn’t leave the room, but I heard noise. Several soldiers pushed their way into the house, asking for money. They threatened us, swore at us, and shot their guns. Bajic entered my room, followed by Lukic. When I saw Milan, I thought he’d save us, because we knew each other and were schoolmates. However, he kicked me. I was beaten so brutally I fainted,” Nezic said.

According to Nezic, when he regained consciousness he heard Lukic say, “Give me a knife to slaughter them.”

“One of the soldiers said ‘No, not them, this one.’ Then they left and took my uncle Ibrahim Kumalic away with them,” Nezic said. He said his uncle’s body was found a day later.

Also testifying at this hearing, witnesses Dzevad Kumalic and Fatima Nezic confirmed that soldiers entered their house in Pudin Han in the summer of 1992 and demanded money.

Fatima Nezic said her brother Ibrahim Kumalic was taken away from the house on that occasion and was later on killed.

“Just after 10 we heard someone banging at the door. It was my brother Ibrahim, who said to me, ‘I’m dead.’ He went to our mother to ask for money. She gave him everything she had. He took that to the shouting soldiers who entered our house a short time later. They began cursing and shooting. They even went to the kids’ room to look for money. Then they took Ibrahim away. Since he didn’t return the next morning, my nephew and I headed towards Ramiz’s house. At that moment, I saw his body full of bullet holes in a field,” Fatima Nezic said.

Cantonal prosecution witness Nisvet Ticevic said he witnessed the murder of Ibrahim Draganovic in Pudin Han in the summer of 1992.

Ticevic said Draganovic was killed at the home of his cousin Ramiz, where several families were accommodated at the beginning of the war.

“That night in July 1992 four soldiers – Predrag and Nenad Bajic, Milan Lukic and Sinisa Babic appeared at the house. Since Ibrahim Draganovic didn’t give them the money they asked for, Predrag Bajic killed Ibrahim by opening a burst of gunfire at him from an automatic rifle,” Ticevic said. Ticevic survived because he fell on the floor during the shooting and pretended he was dead.

The trial will continue on May 5.