Witness Describes Abuse at Hands of Talovic and Tursunovic

Talovic and Tursunovic, former members of the Bosnian Army, have been charged with breaking into Milivoje Prodanovic’s house in Zivinice on September 15, 1992. They allegedly cocked their rifles towards him while threatening him.

Milivoje Prodanovic said Talovic and Tursunovic came to his house, broke the door down and mistreated him on September 13, 1992.

“They knocked on the door. When I opened it, I saw Tursunovic pointing a rifle at me. I closed the door and ran to the bathroom. Then they began shooting at the door and the house. One of the bullets, which passed through the house, scratched my forehead,” Prodanovic said.

Prodanovic said a short time later they entered the bathroom and took him to the kitchen.

“They cursed my Chetnik mother, while I was lying down, facing the floor. Tursunovic hit me with his rifle and kicked me, while Talovic took stuff out of the house. At some point, Tursunovic took the ash drawer from the stove and spread the ashes all over me. He fired bullets onto the floor next to my head,” Prodanovic said.

According to Prodanovic, they took him out of the house later on and took him to the garage. They drove his car out of the garage and left.

Prodanovic said he never returned to his house in Zivinice because of the fear and trauma he experienced. He said his neighbours helped him after the defendants drove away.

“They drove me to the health center in Zivinice, where doctors helped me. They asked me who attacked me. I was too afraid to tell anybody,” Prodanovic said.

The date of the next hearing will be set at a later stage.