Analysis – Goran Popovic: Assault and Abuse of Prisoners at Uzamnica

The state prosecution has examined seven witnesses and presented material evidence to prove the allegations in the indictment. Popovic’s defense examined ten witnesses and presented material evidence during the trial. Popovic’s defense believes he is innocent.

Witness and former prisoner Adem Berberovic said Goran Popovic was one of the guards who beat him during his detention in Uzamnica.

“He hit me with his arms, his legs, he punched me in the head and beat me with a rifle butt,” Berberovic said.

In response to questions by the defense, Berberovic said Popovic hit with a rifle butt once. He said the same group of guards beat prisoners throughout the summer of 1993. At night, guards would go to the hangar in which prisoners were detained, and would call on individuals by name to exit the hangar. Then they would be beaten, outside of the camp.

Former Prisoners Describe Abuse Inflicted by Popovic

Berberovic said a prisoner named Nurko Dervisevic (who also testified at the trial) told him he was also beaten by Popovic, on one of the occasions when guards took prisoners out for beatings.

In his testimony, Nurko Dervisevic said Goran Popovic and Nebojsa Todorovic caught him in an ambush and took him to the police station in Visegrad for interrogation.

Dervisevic said that after being taken to the police station, he woke in the Uzamnica detention camp, but couldn’t remember how he got there. He said Popovic beat him once during his detention, approximately one month after his arrival.

“Yes, once with a punch to the chest,” Dervisevic said.

Witness Nebojsa Todorovic said Dervisevic had told him that he had been pushed in the chest by Popovic, but not punched.

Witness and former prisoner Ilias Cuprija said he was repeatedly and brutally beaten in one of the hangars at the Uzamnica detention camp. He said other prisoners were also brutally beaten, and claimed they were beaten by Milan Lukic and Sredoje Lukic. The UN-backed Hague tribunal sentenced Milan Lukic to life in prison for war crimes in Visegrad, while Sredoje Lukic was

sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Cuprija said all of the guards, including Popovic, took prisoners out of the camp and beat them.

A protected witness known as S-3 described the sexual abuse of women and men imprisoned at Uzamnica. She said she was repeatedly taken out of the hangar with another female prisoner and was raped. She said the guards who took them out of the hangar were named Mico and Goran.

“I was taken out with Saban and Adem, in order for them to rape us in a field. It was shameful, because everyone was watching. Some soldiers were watching. They were laughing,” S-3 said. She said she was raped by Saban.

S-3 told the court that at the time Popovic was young and tanned. She identified Goran Popovic in the courtroom.

Ilijas Cuprija said he didn’t witness the sexual abuse of prisoners, but had heard about the rape of prisoners in fields outside of the detention camp.

According to Cuprija, it was common practice for the guards to force prisoners to sing Chetnik songs. He said he was ordered to do so once or twice by Popovic.

S-3 said Popovic also forced Muslim prisoners to eat pork.

Milan Lukic Responsible for Prisoner Abuse, Former Guards Claim

During the trial, Popovic’s defense tried to prove that prisoners in Uzamnia weren’t abused by the guards, but by a group led by Milan Lukic. Some defense witnesses said Popovic went to the frontline in December 1992, because of the actions of Milan Lukic’s group.

Srdjan Vucicevic, a former guard at Uzamnica, said prisoners were abused by Milan Lukic and his followers, known as “Avengers.”

“I listened to those people screaming, there were visible injuries and bruises on their bodies,” Vucicevic said. He said he became acquainted with Popovic during their time at Uzamnica.

Vucicevic said he left Uzamnica with Popovic and other guards in December 1992.

“One night Milan Lukic came with his “Avengers.” I was at the gate. We really didn’t let them enter, and the next day we were asked to leave the barracks. We went to the brigade in Donja Lijeska,” Vucicevic said.

Miodrag Pecikoza, another former guard at Uzamnica, said he never saw Popovic mistreat prisoners in any way. He stressed that the prisoners were abused by Milan Lukic.

“No one could do anything to Milan Lukic and his soldiers. We could all see them coming, but no one dared to approach him or say anything,” Pecikoza said.

Pecikoza said because of constant visits by Lukic and his soldiers, he, Popovic and other guards requested to be transferred to the frontline in December 1992. The transfer was approved.

Vojo Cevic, a former member of the Army of Republika Srpska, said that he became acquainted with Popovic in December 1992, when he was assigned to the frontline.

“I heard at the time that these people came from Uzamnica of their own accord. It was unusual, it was a time when the war had taken hold, so it was unusual for people in the background to willingly go to the frontline,” Cevic said. He said he didn’t know why Popovic applied for a transfer from Uzamnica.

Popovic’s trial began on June 11, 2014. He initially defended himself at liberty, until he violated a travel ban by attempting to travel to Serbia later that month, after which he was held in custody. He was released from custody in the beginning of March 2015.