Witnesses Begin Testimony at Petrovic Trial

According to the charges, Petrovic, a former member of the Croatian Defense Council arrested a Serb civilian named Nikola Magazin in late May or early June 1992. In collaboration with another soldier, Petrovic allegedly beat Magazin and took him to the Sudareva cave, where he killed him.

State prosecution witness Ibro Maslesa said he searched for Magazin, his neighbour, two days after his disappearance, but was unable to find him. Maslesa said he overheard a conversation between a man and a protected witness known as A on Magazin’s fate.

“Witness A told the man that he was present during Nikola’s murder and that the two men who killed him told him they would do the same to him if he told anyone about it. It seems to me that A said it was someone named Petrovic,” Maslesa said.

Vejsil Niksic, a former member of the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also testified at today’s hearing. Niksic participated in a search in late June 1992 in order to find Bosnian Serb forces.

“We walked some 1,000 meters away from Vukovo Polje. We heard sporadic gunfire. I saw smoke in the area where the search was going on. I also saw sheep lying. I knew they belonged to Nikola Magazin, because we knew each other. We worked together for seven years. I saw his yellow jacket and his bag. I began calling his name, but he didn’t answer,” Niksic said.

Mladen Petrovic, another soldier, confirmed having participated in the search. He said he also saw the sheep, but didn’t know who they belonged to. According to Petrovic, he hadn’t heard that there had been casualties during the search.

Dragan Petrovic, another soldier, said he and commander Zdravko Petrovic, Mladenko Petrovic, Srecko Petrovic, Ivica Petrovic, and Dragan Tomic participated in the search.

Petrovic said no shooting could be heard during the search except automatic fire Serb positions. He also said he did not see any sheep in the area. Fifteen or twenty days later he said he heard someone had killed a Serb, whose first and last name he did not know.

A statement given by Rade Magazin, who died in the meantime, was read at this hearing as well. He said that while searching for his father Nikola he received information that he had been taken away by Marinko Petrovic and Mladen Petrovic. The statement indicates he got this information from Zvonko and Janja Tipuric.

In his statement Rade Magazin said a schoolmate, whose name he did not want to mention, told him Marinko Petrovic and Mladen Petrovic had taken his father to a cave and killed him. Rade Magazin said that Marinko Petrovic then took his wristwatch off, saying he would no longer need it.

The trial will continue on September 18.