Witness at Radisic Trial Describes Danger Faced by Work Squads

The Bosnian state prosecution has charged Radisic, the former commander of a work squad with the Teslicka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, with participating in the physical and mental abuse of Bosniak civilians in Teslic from 1992-1995. The indictment alleges that Radisic, also nicknamed “Django,” took a number of civilians to locations where they performed forced labour, which led to death of at least six and the injury of several others on the frontline.

Kemal Bajric, a Bosniak who was forced to join a work squad, testified at today’s hearing. Bajric said he used to live in the village of Pribinic in Teslic, with his wife and two children. In 1992, he was recruited by a work squad and was tasked with transporting firewood for Bosnian Serb fighters. In the beginning, Bajric said, he and other labourers were taken to work sites by members of a civil protection unit, who treated them correctly.

Bajric said the Bosniak men from his village were also tasked with going to combat lines between Teslic and Tesanj in order to dig trenches. He said some of them were wounded or killed while working on the combat lines.

Bajric also described a prison in Pribinic which held Bosniak and Croat detainees.

“I heard about Django, that Radisic guy, who beat Smail Sadikovic and provoked Mirsad Jasarevic in the woods and cursed his mother…I personally don’t know him. We didn’t have any conflicts, but I heard he terrorized people,” Bajric said.

Bajric said a member of the Bosnian Serb Interventions Squad killed his brother in front of a bakery in Pribinic. He also said his former colleague Mile Gavric was abducted from his house by Bosnian Serb forces.

“They did all sorts of horrible things to him. He died,” Bajric said.

The trial will continue on September 4.