Djelilovic Defense Presents Wartime State Documents as Evidence

Mustafa Djelilovic’s defense presented documents indicating that the wartime presidency, headed by Djelilovic, sought to protect the interests of Bosniak detainees in Hadzici.

Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember have been charged with the unlawful detention, inhumane treatment, physical and mental suffering and forced labour of detainees in Hadzici.

According to the charges, Djelilovic was the president of the municipal assembly, crisis committee and wartime presidency of the municipality of Hadzici, while the other defendants were members of military and police authorities as well as managers of detention camps. Kalember was a guard at the Silos detention facility.

At today’s hearing, Djelilovic’s defense presented three documents which confirm that the wartime presidency of Hadzici and the 9th Mountain Brigade of the Bosnian Army informed relevant authorities, such as military courts and the Bosnian presidency, about the situation of Bosniak detainees held in Hadzici.

“We present information provided by the 9th Mountain Brigade of the 1st Corps from June 26, 1994, which notifies the District Military Court that taking away detainees would cause mass malcontentment among Bosniak families,” Edina Residovic, Djelilovic’s defense attorney said.

Nezir Kazic’s defense objected to this evidence, and said the document stated that the 9th Mountain Brigade had no means by which to take away detainees.

Residovic also presented a letter written by the wartime presidency of Hadzici, which urged the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to “solve the problem of citizens’ requests related to detainees.”

Residovic also presented a decision released by the wartime presidency on the appointment of a new member to the presidency. She also presented a municipal assembly decision which approved the appointment of Nusret Kaleta as acting secretary of the municipal assembly.

Nusret Kaleta was expected to testify at today’s hearing, however his testimony was postponed due to his poor health.

“The witness has come but he isn’t feeling well, we just called an ambulance,” presiding judge Minka Kreho said at the beginning of the hearing.

When he testified at the state court on June 8, Kaleta said the families of missing Bosniaks from the Hadzici area were opposed to the exchange of detained Serbs until the fate of their family members was revealed.

The trial continues on July 9.