Witness Describes Father’s Disappearance at Trial of Former Bosnian Army Soldiers

The witness, Aleksandar Vukovic, testified at the trial of Muhamed Adzem, Omer Ugljesa, Senad Halilovic and Suljo Karkelja. The district prosecution in Eastern Sarajevo has charged the defendants with participating in the murder of seven prisoners of war from the Bosnian Serb Army on September 17, 1992.

According to the charges, the victims were captured on August 21, 1992. They were detained in the municipal secretariat for internal affairs in Gorazde and were then transported to Ladjeva Stijena in the village of Kopaci. They allegedly were killed at Ladjeva Stijena.

Vukovic said he left Gorazde with his mother and sister and went to Kragujevac in Serbia in late March 1992. His father, Kojo Vukovic, stayed behind in Gorazde.

Vukovic said he contacted his father at the beginning of August 1992, and said he found out a month or two later that he had been killed.

“I found out he was captured, taken away and liquidated later on,” Vukovic said.

He said his father was a member of the Bosnian Serb Army and was captured at Trovrh. He said he was killed at Ladjeva Stijena.

Vukovic said his father and other Bosnian Serb Army members were held in a silo in Kopaci and were also held at the police station.

“Milivoje Carapic told me that my father was held on the police premises in Gorazde. That group of men was held separately. They were in a separate prison cell. He heard their cries. According to him [Carapic], they were beaten up at the police station,” Vukovic said.

He said his father’s remains have not been found yet.

At the same hearing, the prosecution said it would give up on the examination of witness Branojka Klacar. Klacar was visibly upset in the courtroom and complained about her poor health.

The trial will continue on April 16.