Pavo Glavas Not in Odzak During Alleged Rape, Witnesses Say

Pavo Glavas, Ilija Glavas, Martin Barukcic, and Marijan Brnjic, all former members of the 102nd Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council, have been charged with war crimes in Odzak. According to the indictment, during the summer of 1992 the defendants abducted civilians from various locations to houses and buildings where they raped, assaulted, threatened and humiliated them.

Defense witness Luka Juric said he was the president of the crisis committee in Posavska Mahala in Odzak from the beginning of the war until mid-July 1992.

“The movement of people was restricted at the time. It was impossible to go to Croatia and abroad without getting permission. I was the president of the crisis committee, so I issued those permits, which had to be stamped. I issued one of them to Pavo Glavas at the beginning of April 1992, so he could go back to Switzerland,” Juric said.

He said Glavas, whom he had known since childhood, was not a member of any military formations in Posavska Mahala. He said he knew this because he personally drew up lists of able-bodied men in the area.

Bozo Juric, Luka Juric’s cousin, also testified at today’s hearing. Juric said his cousin gave him and Pavo Glavas permission to leave the country in April 1992.

“We crossed the river on the same ferry…I passed him on the highway. I celebrated Easter in Germany, while he was working in Switzerland,” Juric said.

Pavo Barukcic, a former neighbour of Pavo Glavas, also testified at today’s hearing. He said the Glavas house was empty before and after May 8, 1992.

He also confirmed that Glavas was working in Switzerland. He said he didn’t see Glavas, until 1996 or 1997, when he returned to Posavksa Mahala.

Pavo Bratic, a former seasonal worker in Switzerland, also said that Glavas resided and worked in Switzerland. He said he went to Osijek in Croatia in April 1992 to visit family.

“I returned to Switzerland on June 2, 1992. I slept over and went to Pavo’s company to ask him for help to buy some necessary supplies. We did that in the afternoon,” Bratic said. Bratic said he used to see Pavo Glavas almost every day.

He wasn’t able to specify whether he saw Glavas on the night of June 4 or 5, 1992. He said he worked at a nightclub frequented by Pavo Glavas and his friends every weekend.

Bratic said Pavo Glavas was in Switzerland from June 2-October 31, 1992, the entire length of his visa. Bratic said he had documents confirming he entered and left Switzerland, which the defense filed as evidence. The prosecution objected to the authenticity of the documents, and said it would verify them.

The defense said Pavo Glavas would testify in his own defense at the next hearing on September 15.

Prosecutor Miroslav Janjic said the prosecution would file a new indictment against Marijan Brnjic, with the intention of adjoining it to this case.