Witness Describes Prisoner Abuse and Interrogation in Rapatnica

Ekrem Ibracevic, Fikret Smajlovic and Sejdalija Covic, former members of the Bosniak military police, are on trial for crimes committed against Serb civilians in Rapatnica in 1992.

Ibracevic is the former chief of military security with the municipal headquarters of the Territorial Defense in Srebrenik.

Enis Softic, who was a guard in custody in Rapatnica, testified at today’s hearing. Softic said a nurse bandaged a prisoner named Lazar Stanisic in a coal storage facility.

“Her words stayed in my head, ‘My God, what did you do to these people?’” Softic said, adding that Stanisic had thin lines on his chest.

Softic said he heard from his colleague Ismet Imsirovic that three prisoners were “fried” on the last day of their shift, after which they had two days off.

According to Softic, in the evening of the last day of his shift, several military police officers, including Faruk Smajlovic, Sejdalija Covic, Samir Nurkanovic, and officers named Huso (also known as Bobi) and Jasmin came to the detention facility. He said they stayed until midnight.

“Faruk had a black bag, like a briefcase…They went to the hall,” Softic said.

Softic said Mustafa Covic was already there, and acting on his orders, he and Imsirovic brought prisoners to them one by one to be interrogated in the hall. He said he didn’t notice any injuries on the prisoners when he returned them to their cells.

Emir Suljagic, Smajlovic’s defense attorney, asked Softic whether he remembered the names of the people who went to the facility that night and other details about his subsequent contact with Imsirovic.

Softic said Imsirovic didn’t tell him their names, but said they “just agreed” on them.

Softic confirmed that he remembered the names of the injured prisoners, in another court proceeding.

Softic was asked why he called Imsirovic the manager of the facility in another trial. Softic said Imsirovic was a guard, but was in charge of writing reports.

Softic said that between 30 and 50 prisoners of Serb nationality were detained in Rapatnica.

Softic said Serb prisoners were interrogated by two inspectors from the state security, as well as Ekrem Ibracevic and his assistant Mustafa Covic, on behalf of the military security.

Softic, who brought the prisoners to to be interrogated, said he didn’t see force being applied during the interrogations. He also said he didn’t see any signs of violence on the prisoners.

Softic confirmed that he was saw Sejdalija Covic at checkpoints in May and June 1992.

The trial continues on July 7.