Forced Labour and Human Shields on Santiceva Street in Mostar
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Puljic, the commander of the Second Battalion with the Second Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council, has been charged with with allowing his subordinates to take detainees from the Heliodrom detention camp to the Mostar area and other locations in order to perform forced labour and be used as human shields. Puljic has also been charged with participating in enforced disappearances and beatings.
State prosecution witness Mirsad Demirovic, who was detained in Heliodrom in 1993, said he was taken to Santiceva Street on August 1993 in order to perform forced labour.
“They were looking for someone who knew how to use a chainsaw. I volunteered…As soon as I started the saw motor, a grenade fell. I don’t remember anything else. I woke up in a hospital,” Demirovic said. He said he was sent back to Heliodrom after having undergone medical treatment.
Omer Husagic, the second state prosecution witness, said he was taken from Heliodrom to other locations to perform forced labour. He said he was taken to Santiceva Street twice. He was wounded there on August 6, 1993.
“They gathered a group of us and took us to Santiceva Street, where combat activities were the fiercest. We filled bags and put them on windows, so they would be protected. We heard bullets, parts of building facades falling off. I was wounded on that occasion. I got a light injury,” Husagic said.
He said after he was taken back to Heliodrom, he was no longer used for forced labour.
State prosecution witness Meho Kodro said that during his detention in Helidrom he was taken to Santiceva Street 67 times in order to perform forced labour. He said it was the most difficult location to work, because the shooting never stopped and it was close to the division line.
“When we began performing forced labour, I couldn’t escape going to Santiceva Street. I was used as a human shield on Santiceva for 67 days. We filled some bags and pushed them to the street,” Kodro said, adding that detainees were killed or wounded while performing labour on that street.
Kodro said members of the Anti-terrorist Group, beat him in the post office building after he had performed labour on August 5, 1993.
“After that they took us to Rudnik. Mr. Mile Puljic came and asked as who had beaten us. He offered medical assistance to those who wanted it. I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I went back to Heliodrom,” Kodro said.
When asked whether members of the Second Battalion beat the detainees on that day, he said no.
“When I was beaten up, two or three members of the Second Battalion were present, but they did not participate in it. It was the ATG,” the witness explained.
The trial will continue on July 1.
