Witnesses Describe Forced Labour of Heliodrom Prisoners

Puljic, the former commander of the Second Battalion with the Second Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council, has been charged with allowing his subordinates to use detainees from the Heliodrom detention camp for work and as human shields. He’s also been charged with participating forcible disappearances and assault.

State prosecution witness and former Heliodrom prisoner Ahmet Razic said a prisoner named Huso Ljevic was killed in late August or early September. He said they were carrying some bags when Ljevic, who was a meter away from him, was shot in the head.

Razic also recalled an exchange of fire in which protected witness S-5 and another individual were wounded. He said the other prisoners received an order to continue working.

Razic told the court they were taken away from the Heliodrom detention camp to other locations in order to work. He said he was arrested in the village of Prenj in the municipality of Stolac on July 1, 1992, before he was taken to the Heliodrom detention camp.

Most of the time prisoners performed forced labour on Santiceva Street in Mostar. Razic said Santiceva Street was within the Second Battalion’s zone of responsibility.

A state prosecution witness named Jusuf Golos said he was captured in the village of Dubrave in the municipality of Capljina on July 13, 1993. He was taken to Gabela and then to the Heliodrom detention camp, and to several locations in order to perform forced labour.

“I was taken out many times. I had more meals while performing forced labour than in the detention camp,” Razic said. He said he spent most of his time on Santiceva Street, which he said was under the command of the Second Battalion. He said he didn’t know who the commander of the battalion was.

He said Ibro Kukrica, Osman Jelovac and Muamer Demirovic were used as human shields between lines of gunfire, and were wounded on Santiceva Street around August 10, 1993.

Golos said he once performed forced labour at the same location for 57 days in a row, and didn’t leave during that time.

Aisa Colakovic, whose sons Mirsad and Dervo were held in detention camps, was questioned at this hearing. She said she heard her son Dervo was taken to the Heliodrom detention camp and was killed while being used as a human shield on Santiceva Street.

The trial will continue on August 26.