Witness Describes ‘Cleaning’ of Prijedor Village

Salko Bacic said that Serb soldiers came to the hamlet of Gradina in Prijedor municipality on July 23, 1992.

“I open the window. I see Grujicic, whose name I didn’t know. He says: ‘Cleaning’. This meant – leave your home,” the witness said, adding he went together with a few other men from the hamlet to Fikret Bacic’s house, because someone named “Crnogorac” invited them to come.

Bacic said that he and a few other neighbours sat down with “Crnogorac” and drank brandy, when Stojnic, known as Grom, came accompanied by two soldiers. The witness pointed to defendant Radomir Stojnic in the courtroom.

According to Bacic, Stojnic, who was dressed in blue police uniform, entered Fikret Bacic’s house with the soldiers and carried out a hammer, saying it was a weapon.

“Milenko Milunic’s son was with Stojnic,” the witness said, adding he then noticed that a wooden mosque in Zecovi was on fire.

The defense attorney of defendant Dusan Milunic said the witness said in a previous statement that Dragoljub Grbic also came with Milenko Milunic’s son. The witness left open the possibility that it was true, too.

Dusan Milunic, Radomir Stojnic, Radovan Cetic, Dusko Zoric, Zoran Stojnic, Zeljko Grbic, Ilija Zoric, Zoran Milunic, Bosko Grujicic, Ljubisa Cetic, Rade and Uros Grujcic, and Zdravko Antonic and Rajko Gnjatovic are charged with committing murders, torture, sexual violence, destruction and taking of property from the local population of Zecovi village.

The indictment alleges that Milunic was the commander of the Rasavacka Company with the 6th Battalion of the 43rd Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, Radomir Stojnic was the commander of reserve police station in Rasavci, while Radovan Cetic was the president of the Serbian Democratic Party and crisis committee for the village of Rasavci. The other defendants were members of the Rasavacka Company, police and other formations, according to the indictment.

The indictment further alleges that 29 women and children were killed in the hamlet of Gradina. After that the bodies of the killed people were buried in a mass grave, which has still not been found. Also, it alleges that Ljubisa Cetic is responsible for murders that were committed in front of Zika’s cafe.
Bacic said that “Crnogorac” told them they had to go in order to be questioned by police, while their families stayed at their houses in the hamlet.

He said police waited for them with a transport vehicle. He and the others removed their watches and wallets, raised their hands, and then ran.

“There were about 60 of us, mainly Muslims, from all the villages, except little Dolic, who was a Croat,” Bacic said.

He said that all the men had to run towards the main road.

“I saw three bodies and a leg sticking out behind a house in the vicinity of Hida’s house,” the witness said.

When asked by the defense of Zeljko Grbic whether the brandy he had with “Crnogorac” affected his memories about this and “other scenes”, the witness said he remembered everything well.

He said they were transferred to Trnopolje detention camp by bus. His son Zijad Bacic visited him at the detention camp. His son survived the murder of his brothers, sister, mother and other relatives in front of Hasan Bacic’s house.

“He told me he had hid and heard the murders. He heard the voice of Zdravko Coric, who watched the murder while standing on the road and told them not to kill women and children. A soldier told him: ‘Don’t make me open fire at you and make a cross on your body’,” Bacic said.

He said his neighbour Milan Stupar saved his son. The witness heard that Stupar was killed together with his son later on.

“I lost four children. I provided for them and raised them,” Bacic said.

The trial will continue on June 12.