Nusret Muhic Testifies in Own Defense

Testifying in his own defense, Nusret Muhic said he didn’t beat any civilians brought into the police premises in Kladanj for questioning.

Nusret Muhic, Safet Mujcinovic, Nedzad Hodzic, Selman Busnov, Zijad Hamzic, Ramiz Halilovic, Osman Gogic and Kahro Vejzovic, former members of civil and military police, as well as the Territorial Defense, have been charged with war crimes in the Kladanj area, including the unlawful detention of Serb civilians, as well as the assault and inhumane treatment of detainees.

According to the indictment, the Serb population from Stupari and the surrounding villages were unlawfully detained in a school building in Stupari and then in educational workers’ buildings, where they were guarded by police in the summer of 1992. The indictment alleges that the civilians were detained in the educational workers’ buildings under the pretense of ensuring their safety.

Muhic said he was involved in fighting crime with the public safety station in Kladanj in 1992, which included responding to reports of illegal weapon possessions.

He said in the summer of 1992 he was ordered to go to Stupari due to reports of Serbs possessing illegal weapons. He said he was tasked with conducting interviews, finding weapons and preparing criminal reports.

He said this is why he apprehended three Serbs, Milos Celic, Ranko Martinovic and Dobrivoje Jovicic, and took them to the public safety station in Kladanj.

Muhic said he went home after Celic had been apprehended, and returned to the police premises two days later. His work colleague Midhat Softic told him Celic admitted having owned illegal weapons.

“I briefly looked at him and noticed Milos had some red redness on his body,” Muhic. He said Softic, the chief duty officer at the station, didn’t know who had beat him up.

Muhic said Jovicic and Martinovic were apprehended on the same way. He said he went home again and returned to the police premises on the following day.

“I noticed that the same thing had happened. I saw they had injuries on their faces,” Muhic said. He said Jovicic told him he had been beaten up by two men with hoods on their heads.

He said he didn’t speak to Martinovic at all. Martinovic previously said at this trial that Muhic had beaten him. He also denied accusations that he beat Timotije Celic while questioning him.

Muhic also denied that he was the head of the crime-fighting group during the summer of 1992. He said he was appointed to that position in November 1992. He said he was assigned a pistol, but not a police baton.

Muhic’s examination will be continued on September 11.