Only Presidency Could Address Issue of Silos Prisoners, Former Minister Says

Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember have been charged with war crimes in the municipality of Hadzici. The indictment alleges they were members of military and police authorities, as well as managers or guards in detention camps.

They have been charged with the unlawful detention, inhumane treatment, physical abuse and mental suffering of detainees. They’ve also been charged with taking detainees to other locations to perform forced labour.

Bakir Alispahic, the former Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, testified at today’s hearing. Alispahic said he found out about the prisoners in the Silos detention facility near the end of 1993.

“I heard about problems related to Silos and that efforts were made in order to solve them. I didn’t consider it to be a personal problem of mine or the police, but I considered myself responsible for solving it,” Alispahic said.

Alispahic said at the time it was impossible to conduct individual or group transfers of prisoners to Sarajevo or Zenica, because it would have implied a high level of risk.

“Local residents of Hadzici had their own requests. A number of killed and resettled people, several hundred people were taken away from Hadzici. There was the issue of prisoner exchanges, which had to be solved. The government and the presidency had problems with the Serb side,” Alispahic said. He said the Serb side “was more calculating” and “obstructed the case.”

According to Alispahic, defense structures guarded Silos from local residents in Hadzici. He said there was a fear that fighters would leave the combat lines in Igman and come to Hadzici following requests and threats made by the families of the missing in Hadzici. He said this would have lead to the loss of that territory.

“The issue went beyond everyone else apart from the presidency and the Serb side. Djelilovic used to come there for days in an attempt to speak to the President in order to solve the issue,” Alispahic said.

“Djelilovic, the army and the police couldn’t intervene to solve the problem…The government has no authority over the army and police. During war the armed forces are composed of the army and police. The presidency is responsible for the armed forces,” Alispahic said.

He said the issue of detainees was solved by signing the Dayton Peace Agreement.

The trial will continue on November 26. At the next hearing, Alispahic will be examined by the prosecution and the defense teams of the seven other defendants.