Wartime Presidency of Hadzici Didnt Manage Silos, Djelilovic Witness Says
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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 abuse, mental abuse, and forced labour of detainees in Hadzici detention facilities, including the Silos detention camp, the Krupa military barracks and the 9 Maj school building.
According to the charges, at the time 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.
On the third day of his testimony, defense witness and former wartime presidency official Nusret Kaleta said there were isolation cells for people who committed war crimes in 1992.
Prosecutor Zorica Djurdjevic asked Kaleta if the wartime presidency was responsible for managing the Silos detention camp. Kaleta said it wasnt. He said the presidency rendered one decision related to the Silos detention camp.
When certain groups intruded Silos and threatened its security, the wartime presidency rendered a decision on guarding the prison, Kaleta said. He said the decision placed the Silos detention camp under the responsibility of the public safety station. He said this decision was in effect for a short period of time, and that the 9th Mountain Brigade of the Bosnian Army began guarding the camp in November 1992.
Kaleta was asked whether the wartime presidency knew that guards and other individuals physically and mentally abused detainees in the Silos detention camp, the Krupa barracks and the 9 Maj school building. Kaleta repeated that the wartime presidency handed down a decision on the protection of the Silos detention camp after having found out that it had been intruded.
Ive just heard the part about guards abusing, mistreating and inhumanely treating detainees. I dont think they did it, Kaleta said.
Kaleta said the wartime presidency didnt know if detainees performed forced labour on the frontline.
I am not competent to give an answer and claim whether it happened or not, he said.
New witnesses are expected to testify in defense of Djelilovic on July 16.
