State Prosecution Witness Describes Bosnian Serb Attack on Zecovi Civilians

Defendants Dusan Milunic, Radomir Stojnic, Radovan Cetic, Dusko Zoric, Zoran Stojnic, Zeljko Grbic, Ilija Zoric, Zoran Milunic, Bosko Grujicic, Ljubisa Cetic, Rade and Uros Grujcic, Zdravko Antonic and Rajko Gnjatovic have been charged with committing acts of murder, torture, sexual violence, as well as destructing and confiscating property from the local residents of Zecovi.

According to the charges, Milunic was the commander of the Rasavacka Company of the Sixth Battalion of the 43rd Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, Stojnic was the commander of the reserve police station in Rasavci, while Radovan Cetic was the president of the Serbian Democratic Party and crisis committee in the village of Rasavci. The other defendants were members of the army, police and other formations.

According to the charges, they participated in a joint criminal enterprise with the civil and military authorities of the municipality of Prijedor, which involved a widespread and systematic attack on the village, conducted by the Bosnian Serb Army and Bosnian Serb police from July 23-28, 1992.

State prosecution witness Vehid Burnic, who was 15 at the time, told the trial chamber that Serb soldiers came to Zecovi on July 23, 1992 and separated men from women and children. Burnic’s father was separated from his family.

“They said they were just going to Saban’s butcher shop,” he said. Burnic never saw his father again. Burnic said his body was found in the Tomasica mass grave last year.

Burnic said the soldiers came to Zecovi again. He said on July 25, 1992, he saw Hasan Bacic’s house on fire. Women and children from the village were being held at that house. On the following day, Burnic and another boy went to the house and saw dead bodies in the yard.

“A dog was gnawing the leg of one of them, who had blue shorts and a yellow shirt on,” Burnic said. He said he and the other boy discussed what they’d seen with others residents of the village.

State prosecution witness Bosko Salabalija also testified at today’s hearing. He said Milunic issued an order to conduct a search of Zecovi due to information that members of the Green Berets were present in the village. Salabalija said he was the commander of a squad with a company led by Milunic.

“I was in front of the Bacic’s house, where the women and children were. I didn’t go anywhere else at all,” Salabalija said. He said his squad’s task was to guard the women and children.

He was unable to specify the date of the attack, and said he left the village 24 hours later. When asked whether he knew what had happened to the women and children, Salabalija said he found out about it later on, but had “no clue” who the perpetrators were.

“I did not participate in collection of the bodies,” Salabalija said.

Responding to questions from prosecutor Izet Odobasic, said he went to the Zecovi operation from the Rasavci community center, where he saw defendant Stojnic. When asked by the defense, Salabalija said he wasn’t sure if he saw Stojnic.