Witness Describes Forced Labour at Radisic Trial
This post is also available in: Bosnian
A state prosecution witness testifying at the Pero Radisic trial said the defendant transported him to locations where he performed forced labour, but didn’t beat him. Radisic has been charged with war crimes in the Teslic area.
“I knew defendant Radisic. He used to take us to work. I didn’t have any particular problems. I don’t remember being beaten by him. As far as the others are concerned, I don’t know, since I didn’t see it…I couldn’t say,” witness Muhidin Zukic said.
Zukic said at the time Radisic wore a camouflage uniform.
Zukic said he used to receive calls to perform labour – he said labourers gathered at the Partizan football stadium, while representatives of the civil protection unit sent them to various locations to work.
“We went to the stadium every day. It was called a muster. Afterwards some people would take us to locations where we performed our tasks,” he said.
According to Zukic, some people got killed while digging trenches on the frontlines.
In response to questions by the defense, Zukic said soldiers guarded them while they worked, but emphasized that the workers were exposed to more danger than the soldiers.
“Pero [Radisic] would transport us and leave somewhere…he walked along the lines. They weren’t always in dangerous situations like we were,” Zukic said.
Zukic identified Radisic in the courtroom.
Radisic addressed the court, and said he didn’t hit or mistreat anyone.
“I also had bosses, whose orders I had to obey…I was an ordinary soldier,” Radisic said.
The Bosnian state prosecution has charged Radisic, a former commander of a work squad with the Teslicka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, with participating in the physical and mental abuse of Bosniak civilians from 1992 to 1995.
The indictment charges Radisic with taking several persons to locations where they performed forced labour. This resulted in the death of at least six and wounded of a large number of labourers on the frontlines.
The next hearing will take place on May 29.
