Witness Describes Prisoner Abuse at Mujkic Trial

The witness, Dragomir Pavic, told the cantonal court in Tuzla that he was arrested with approximately 2000 other residents of villages in the Odzak area on May 8, 1992. He said they were arrested while trying to leave their homes, which were “endangered by members of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO) and Muslim forces.”

“We were detained in a school building which was guarded by HVO forces, supported by Muslim forces. All the detainees were mistreated. Resad Mujkic participated in the mistreatment. They hit us with batons, [kicked us with their] boots, and rifle butts and forced us to fight with each other,” Pavic said.

The indictment alleges that Mujkic participated in the inhumane treatment of Serb civilians who were unlawfully detained in school buildings in Odzak and Novi Grad from May 8 to August 1992. The prosecution alleges that Mujkic may have acted on his own accord, as a guard, or in collaboration with other HVO members.

Pavic described the mistreatment of a prisoner named Vlado Dragojlovic at the Bratstvo Jedinstvo school. He said guards beat him in the school’s gym and forced him to lick his own blood. Pavic didn’t know which of the guards forced Dragojlovic to lick his own blood.

Prosecutor Mladenka Milovanovic presented Pavic with a statement he had given two years ago, in which he had said Mujkic forced Dragojlovic to lick his own blood.

Pavic said there were differences between his statements because of the long time that had passed between them.

Former prisoners Rade Tomanovic and Rade Deronjic died in detention, due to injuries they received. Pavic was unable to confirm whether Mujkic beat the prisoners prior to their death.

The date of the next hearing will be set at a later stage.