Witness Says She Never Saw Papic Abuse Sarajevo Civilians

The cantonal prosecution of Sarajevo has charged Papic, the former commander of a battalion with the First Sarajevska Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, with the inhumane treatment, intimidation and abuse of civilians from 1992 to 1994. He allegedly forced civilians to perform hard labour and exposed them to life threatening situations in Sarajevo.

Cantonal prosecution witness Mira Regoja testified at today’s hearing. She told the cantonal court of Sarajevo that Papic had never mistreated her while she worked at the command point in Grbavica. She said she didn’t know how other civilians were treated.

“I know Papic. I saw him for the first time after my apartment had been searched. They found a typewriter in my apartment and told me to report to the command on Beogradska Street. I stayed at the command and performed tasks like cleaning, making coffee, typing something. Papic was the commander of the unit situated at that location,” Regoja said.

Regoja said an all-men work squad was formed in Grbavica.

The cantonal prosecution asked Regoja if she knew anything about civilians being taken away by soldiers. She said she heard civilians shouting and screaming, but didn’t see anything.

“I don’t know what happened in apartments. I could only hear it. I know they took away my neighbours who lived in an apartment on the ground floor,” she said.

Responding to cross-examination questions by the defense and trial chamber, Regoja said she used to see Papic at the command every day and never saw him mistreat anyone. She said she didn’t know whether one could refuse to perform their civil duties.

“During the war in Grbavica I didn’t hear that Papic mistreated anyone. Nobody told me about it after the war either,” Regoja said.

The trial will continue on December 29.