Former Bosnian Serb Soldier Claims No Knowledge of Karacici Attack

Former Bosnian Serb Army soldiers Radomir Markovic, Mile Kusic, Dragan Bozovic, Sasa Perkovic, Radomir Gluhovic, Pero Radovic, Ilija Vukasinovic and Milos Vukasinovic have been charged with searching and pillaging houses in the villages of Karacici, Vragolovi and Golubovici on September 18, 1992. Markovic was the commander of the Socicka Company of the Rogaticka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, while the other defendants were members of that unit.

During the search of Karacici, the defendants allegedly found 20 Bosniak civilians hiding in a garage. According to the indictment, the defendants beat the civilians with rifle butts and then pushed them into a nearby barn, where they were killed. The shooting caused a fire which burned the bodies, the indictment alleges. The prosecution claims the defendants acted in collaboration with other unidentified perpetrators.

Zoran Bozovic, a former member of the Socicka Company, testified at today’s hearing. Bozovic said he never went to the villages of Karacici, Vragolovi or Kramer as a soldier.
 
“I don’t think the Socicka Company ever went there. I only heard talk about killings, but I didn’t know who died,” Bozovic said.
 
Bozovic said he was mobilized in Jarovici near Rogatica and was assigned with guarding houses and the village. According to Bozovic, relations between Bosniaks and Serbs in the area were good.
 
“Then one day they [Bosniaks] just left. We didn’t know why,” Bozovic said.
 
Bozovic said the Socicka Company didn’t have fighting orders in the area.
 
Bozovic said defendants Mile Kusic and Sasa Perkovic were in his company and both guarded houses. He said three or four men from his company were killed during the war.
 
During cross-examination, Bozovic said the men didn’t die in combat but “from armed Muslims travelling with guns.”
 
Bozovic said that he didn’t know Radovic, and said he wasn’t a member of the Socicka Company in 1992.
 
The trial continues on October 6.