Witnesses Describe Forced Labour of Heliodrom Prisoners in Mostar

Mile Puljic, the former commander of the Second Battalion of the Second Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council, has been charged with allowing his subordinates to take detainees held in the Heliodrom detention camp to locations where they performed forced labour and were used as human shields from May 1993-March 1994. While performing forced labour, 11 detainees were killed, 73 were wounded, and 15 were physically abused by members of the Second Battalion.

Nerzad Hrnjica was the first witness to testify at today’s hearing. Hrnjica said members of the Croatian Defense Council captured him in May 1993 and escorted him to the Heliodrom detention camp. He said he was subjected to torture, mistreatment and assault in Heliodrom.

“We were like toys for the soldiers. We were beaten up every day,” Hrnjica said. He said he was also forced to work almost every day.

“I went to Santiceva Street about 20 times. We dug trenches, made holes for rifle barrels. They used us as human shields many times,” Hrnjica said.

Hrnjica said a Croatian Defense Council soldier once shot him in the chest because he refused to enter a burning house to fetch some items.

A protected witness known as S-16 also testified at today’s hearing. S-16 said he was taken from the Heliodrom detention to work duty on Santiceva Street several times.

“It was dangerous to be on that street, because it was the division line. We were about 15 meters away from the Bosnian Army…While we were building a bunker one morning, a detainee was wounded by a sniper bullet. I heard a buzzing sound 15 minutes later. A bullet scratched me, but it killed Adis Brkovic. I heard later on he was only 23 years old and that he had just had a baby,” S-16 said.

S-16 said the soldiers ordered them to continue working despite the sniper fire.

Witnesses Sabrija Catovic, Saso Lulic and Osman Kolicic also said they were taken to Santiceva Street to work during their detention in the Heliodrom detention camp. Kolicic said Santiceva Street was within the zone of responsibility of the Second Battalion of an Croatian Defense Council brigade.

Most of the other witnesses did not know which zone of responsibility Santiceva Street belonged to.

All five witnesses said they would file property and legal claims should the defendant’s guilt be determined.

“It would be nice to get compensation for the pain I suffered. However, I request that guilt and responsibility for what happened be determined first,” Lulic said.

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