Witness Describes Being Attacked by Goran Mrdja in Sanski Most Area

The state prosecution has charged Goran Mrdja, Milorad Mrdja, Ranko Mrdja and Mile Kokot, all former members of the Sixth Sanska Infantry Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, with participating in crimes against Bosniaks in the Sanski Most area. The alleged crimes include acts of murder, rape, assault, theft, as well as other kinds of mental and physical abuse.

State prosecution witness Fikret Avdic said he lived in Skucani Vakuf near Sanski Most in 1992, when Bosnian Serb forces took over the area.

“Then Bosniaks surrendered their weapons…The Serbs then robbed houses, came in and abused people. People went to be questioned and came back abused and beaten. They were taken by trucks, but the bruises spoke for themselves,” Avdic said.

He said during this period he went to the village of Gorice, where he spent a night with his brother, uncle, aunt and two relatives named Suad and Rufad. He said a neighbour named Camil Bacic and his wife were also present.

“Suad, my brother and I were in one room. I was woken by uniformed men. They turned on the light and Goran Mrdja came in with a soldier I didn’t know,” Avdic said. He said he had known Mrdja since elementary school.

He said Mrdja ordered his brother and Suad to leave the room.

“He put a knife through my stomach. He asked the other soldier, ‘Will he kill him?’ and the man said ‘Enough for tonight.’ Then he ordered me to lie down and he put his foot on me and pressed down,” Avdic said.
Avdic said Mrdja and the unknown soldier then walked away, and he heard screams coming from the other room.

“I just lied down, until my brother and cousin walked in and asked if I was alive. They told me both soldiers left,” Avdic said. Avdic said Rufad had been beaten.  

Avdic said his brother told him one of the soldiers kicked him in the chin with his boot.

“I don’t know if it was fear or stress, but I still don’t know where I was the night after this happened. This happened in 1993 and we left about 20 days later for Croatia, on May 26,” Avdic said. Avdic said he felt like “a lamb ready for slaughter.”

During cross-examination, Mrdja’s defense said Avdic hadn’t mentioned a woman who he had said was in the house in a previous statement. He was also asked why he hadn’t mentioned that Rufad had been abused in his previous statement. Avdic said he assumed everyone had been beaten, but hadn’t seen anything.  

The trial resumes on September 28.