Witness Describes Persecution of Bosniaks in Rogatica War Crimes Trial

Former Bosnian Serb soldiers Radomir Markovic, Mile Kusic, Dragan Bozovic, Sasa Perkovic, Radomir Gluhovic, Pero Radovic Ilija Vukasinovic and Milos Vukasinovic have been charged with searching and pillaging houses in the villages of Karacici, Vragolovi and Golubovici on September 18, 1992.

During the search of Karacici, the defendants allegedly found 20 Bosniak civilians hiding in a garage. According to the indictment, the defendants beat the civilians with rifle butts and then pushed them into a nearby barn, where they were killed. The shooting caused a fire which burned the bodies, the indictment alleges. The prosecution claims the defendants acted in collaboration with other unidentified perpetrators.

According to the charges, at the time Markovic was the commander of the Socicka Company of the Rogaticka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, while the other defendants were members of that unit.

Witness Rusmir Nukic, who lived in Rogatica at the beginning of the war, said he left the town after the shelling began in June 1992.

“Most of the Muslims were leaving Rogatica. I left with my friends, relatives and family. We left everything behind and headed towards Vragolovi through the woods,” Nukic said.

Due to a lack of food, people would go back to Rogatica at night.

“We stayed there until the shelling of Vragolovi began. After that we all left Vragolovi,” Nukic said.

Nukic said he was captured near Ustipraca on July 7, 1992.

Following his capture, he was taken to the Rasadnik detention camp, where he was held for a year and a half.

The defense asked Nukic whether he went to the village of Karacici after leaving Vragolovi. Nukic said he didn’t return to Karacici after it was taken over.

The trial will continue on July 14, when a statement given by a deceased witness will be read.