Witnesses at Sehagic Trial Claim No Knowledge of Abuse at Kakanj Detention Facility

Segahic, the former manager of a detention facility in the old directorate building of the Kakanj coal mine, has been charged with participating in the torture of Croat detainees. According to the indictment, Segahic failed to undertake necessary and reasonable measures to prevent the torture and report the perpetrators to his superiors.

Fadil Imamovic was a former member of the command of the defense headquarters of the municipality of Kakanj and was also briefly the head of the command. Testifying at today’s hearing at the cantonal court of Zenica, he confirmed the authenticity of an order by which he appointed Sehagic the manager of a military detention unit in 1993.

According to the order, Sehagic was tasked with providing a room with beds, food and work to detained members of the Bosnian Army.

“Therefore, there was no conflict with the Croatian Defense Council (HVO) at the time,” Imamovic said.

He said he vaguely remembered the conflict. Imamovic said that as far as he knew, some Croatian Defense Council soldiers were detained in Kakanj, but not civilians. He said he couldn’t remember whether he had ever been informed about any problems related to the detention unit.

Imamovic was presented with an order given in January 1994 by the commander of the 309th Brigade of the Bosnian Army. The commander released Sehagic from his duties as prison manager, even though Sehagic was not a member of his brigade. Imamovic said the order “reflected the situation” in that period, and said there was disorder in the command and management system.

Zakir Alispahic and Dzems Vins, former members of the Military Police Battalion of the Bosnian Army, also testified at today’s hearing.

Alispahic said he was sent to Kakanj twice after the conflict with the Croatian Defense Council. On the first occasion he and others were supposed to take a statement from Croatian Defense Council soldiers associated with the murder of one Bosnian Army soldier. Alispahic said they never got the statement, because they were tasked with conducting a crime scene investigation instead.

“I didn’t know Sehagic was the manager. I saw him within the command complex. I heard he was there, because he wasn’t able to go to the frontline,” Alispahic said.

Vins said he was in Kakanj during the conflict and saw Croat houses being pillaged and set on fire.

He said he guarded a group of elderly civilians in their village, and promised he would make sure they were protected.

“I was informed, at the Headquarters in Kakanj, about what the situation was like, so I went back to Zenica and informed my superiors. I was sent back to Kakanj in order to try and contact members of military police, who were deployed in that area. I can say the situation was chaotic,” Vins said.

Vins said he met the defendant and visited the detention unit, which was situated in a basement and reeked of damp. He said he saw three or four Croatian Defense Council soldiers detained there.

“I have never heard of the mistreatment,” Vins said.

The trial will continue on December 3.