Witnesses Describe Detainment of Prisoners in Ripac Warehouse at Stanarevic Trial

The state prosecution has charged Zeljko Stanarevic, a former military policeman with the 15th Bihacka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, with participating in the murder of 11 prisoners from a facility in Ripac, in the Bihac area. The killings allegedly took place between June 24 and the first half of July 1992 at the Bezdan Pit.

According to the indictment, Stanarevic and other members of the Bosnian Serb Army drove the prisoners to the pit. The prosecution alleges that Stanarevic participated in the execution of the prisoners and dumped the bodies into the pit.

Milan Popovic, the former shift head at the Ripac police station, testified at today’s hearing. He said in mid-June 1992, he saw approximately 140 prisoners detained at the IMP warehouse. He said he could see them from his office.

He said the prisoners were there for about a month, and that twice during his shift he saw a military security officer named Ratko Mihajlovic at the warehouse. He said Mihajlovic had a list of prisoners and took away prisoners to be exchanged with members of the military police.

“I noticed Stanarevic was among the military officers. Prisoners were called out and put on a truck. I can’t say they were beaten on that occasion, but they were perhaps a little rough with them and urged them to get on the truck,” Popovic said. He said he had information that prisoners were being taken away to be exchanged.

Popovic said that in addition to Mihajlovic, the prisoners were taken away by a man named Branko Vignjevic, but that Stanarevic was not with him.

Popovic said a month later the warehouse was empty. He said that after the war he heard that the prisoners had ended up in the Bezdan Pit.

Miroslav Tankosic, a former member of the military police, also testified at today’s hearing. Tankosic said he heard that the prisoners were taken to the military barracks in Racic to be interrogated. He said he didn’t see Stanarevic take away the prisoners.

“Maybe Stanarevic was there, but I didn’t see him in person. I didn’t know that where they were taking them away to exchange them. Although there were various stories – from being exchanged somewhere to being killed,” Tankosic said.

Muhamed Hodzic also testified at today’s hearing. He confirmed that in the summer of 1992, six to eight thousand Bosniaks left the area of the Ljutocka valley. He said they mostly came to Bihac through Strbacki Buk. Hodzic said he didn’t know Stanarevic, nor could say that he had seen him among the military officers in the area.

The trial will continue on October 19.