Witness Describes Croatian Defense Forces Killings in Trnovo

Godinjak, Saric and Bunoza, who are former members of police forces, Territorial Defense and Croatian Defense Forces, are on trial for participating in a joint criminal enterprise aimed at killing and detaining Serbs in villages in the Trnovo area.

The indictment alleges that at the time Godinjak was the chief of the public safety station in Trnovo, Saric was the commander of the Territorial Defense Headquarters, while Bunoza was a commander of Croatian Defense Forces units.

State prosecution witness Avdo Vatric, who used to work at the Public Safety Station in Trnovo, testified at today’s hearing. Vatric said members of the Croatian Defense Forces killed members of the Cvijetic family during an attack on the village of Presjenica in Trnovo.

“I think they were more than 65 years old,” Vatric said. Vatric said the victims weren’t members of the Bosnian Serb Army.

Vatric said Trnovo was under the control of Serb forces at the time of the killings, and was taken over by Bosniak forces at the end of August 1992.

Vatric said prisoners of Serb nationality were kept in a Territorial Defense building next to a police building. Vatric said the duty officer made sure that no one entered Territorial Defense premises without his knowledge.

“I can say the police behaved quite correctly towards them,” Vatric said.

Vatric said Edhem Godinjak was the chief of police in Trnovo, and was appointed to that position before the war. Vatric said Godinjak was correct towards police officers of all nationalities.

Vatric said Serb police officers left the police station in April 1992, after the death of a patrol team consisting of Serb and Bosniak police officers.

Vatric said he didn’t know what Saric’s position was. Vatric said he saw Saric twice during the war.

Prosecutor Vesna Ilic said that during the investigation phase of the case, Vatric said he thought Saric was one of the leaders of the Trnovo attack. Vatric confirmed that he thought Saric participated in leading the Trnovo attack.

Vatric said the Bosnian Serb Army initially took over Trnovo at the end of May 1992.

A new state prosecution witness will be examined on July 7.