Witness Describes Weapons Collection Initiative in Hadzici

Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember have been charged with the unlawful detention, inhumane treatment, physical and mental suffering and forced labour of detainees in Hadzici.

According to the charges, Djelilovic was the president of the municipal assembly, crisis committee and wartime presidency of the municipality of Hadzici, while the other defendants were members of military and police authorities and managers of detention camps. Kalember was a guard at the Silos detention facility.

Remzija Siljak, an investigator acting on behalf of defendant Mustafa Djelilovic, said the Hadzici wartime presidency’s decision to gather weapons targeted everyone who owned arms, regardless of their ethnic affiliation. Siljak’s investigation covered the crisis committee, the wartime presidency, the headquarters of the Territorial Defense, as well as the public safety station.

Siljak said documents archived at civil and military bodies as well as the public safety station in Hadzici indicated that Serb residents had been armed by the Serbian Democratic Party and the Yugoslav National Army. He said he had found a report issued by the Hadzici public safety station on July 25, 1992, which indicated that more than 800 such weapons had been confiscated.

He said the wartime presidency had been functional since May 14, 1992.

The defense questioned Siljak on the detainment of civilians in the area. Siljak said that while reviewing the archives of the wartime presidency, he came to the conclusion that the detainment of civilians was a temporary measure.

“There were refugees in that territory. They had to ensure everyone’s safety…The majority of the tasks were performed by the municipal headquarters of the civil protection unit,” Siljak said. He said there was close cooperation between the municipal civil protection unit and wartime presidency.

Siljak will be cross-examined on September 17.