Witness at Condric Trial Describes Treatment of Polet Prisoners

Mato Condric has been charged with allowing two unidentified Croatian Defense Council soldiers rape a woman in the boiler room of the Polet football stadium in Bosanski Brod at the end of July or beginning of August, 1992.  
 
The indictment alleges that Condric pointed a gun at the victim, and after her rape, he sexually abused and humiliated her. Condric has also been charged with participating in the physical and mental abuse of a woman on the premises of an old public safety station building on June 2, 1992.

Nermin Plehancic, a former member of the military police of the 101 Bosanskobrodska Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council, testified at this trial. He described how prisoners were detained at the Polet football stadium.

“There were two rooms for prisoners…The men’s room was unlocked and sometimes I brought them food. There were Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks there. Both soldiers and civilians,” said Plehancic.
 
According to Plehancic, all of the prisoners, approximately 15 or so, looked “normal.”
 
Plehancic said women were also detained at the stadium, and that their room was locked. When asked whether he’d heard if female prisoners had been mistreated or abused, Plehancic said he had heard from his colleagues that “one Muslim woman was beaten.”
 
Prosecutor Milanko Kajganic presented a statement Plehancic had given in October 2014 as material evidence. In the statement, Plehancic had said he heard that a prisoner named Hazba had been abused and raped.
 
“There were rumours [that circulated] between police officers, while we drank coffee. I once heard that on a previous night, two women were taken away, because the Special Forces came from Croatia,” Plehancic said.
 
With regards to the defendant, Plehancic said he had seen him several times at the stadium and remembered that on one occasion he had been severely wounded.
 
“I know he was wounded on the left shoulder, by shrapnel. I don’t remember whether it was on the frontline. But what I do know is that he is one of the better Croats, believe me,” Plehancic said.
 
Plehancic said he was also wounded in mid-August 1992, and believed that “Mate [Condric] was wounded shortly before.”
 
The prosecution said it would present material evidence and examine a court expert at the next hearing, after which the defense team could begin its evidentiary proceedings.  
 
Today’s trial was briefly interrupted after a member of the Condric family, who was present in the courtroom, fell sick.
 
The trial continues on April 29.