Witness Statement at Glogovac Trial Describes Prisoner Abuse and Torture in Kamenica

The state prosecution has charged Glogovac, a former military police officer with the Doboj operational group of the Ninth Battalion of the First Krajiski Corps of the Bosnian Serb Army, with causing severe physical and mental suffering to civilians and prisoners of war.

The injured parties were allegedly detained in the basement of the Franjo Herljevic hunting lodge in Kamenica in the municipality of Zavidovici from June-August 1992. Glogovac allegedly acted in collaboration with other members of the Bosnian Serb Army.

Novak Mitrovic, since deceased, was originally charged with Glogovac.

A statement given by injured party Aziz Brkovic to the Basic Court of Zavidovici in 1994 was read at today’s hearing. In his statement, Brkovic said he was taken to Kamenica in June 1992, where soldiers beat him and mistreated him for three days and nights. He said he was transferred to Ljeskovica in Zepce and then to Ozren.

Brkovic said he was blindfolded and returned to Kamenica in August 1992.

“They started beating me again until I fell down. Then they took me into a cell. When they took the blindfold off, I recognized Novica [Novak] Mitrovic…They constantly beat me during my stay there, day after day. We also performed labour for their needs,” Brkovic’s statement reads.

Brkovic said Glogovac also beat and mistreated him.

Uzeir Alagic, a former investigative judge with the Basic Court of Zavidovici in 1994, also testified at today’s hearing. Alagic said Brkovic approached him because he wanted to share his experiences as a wartime prisoner.

“At his request and through a joint initiative with the municipal commission for war crimes, Brkovic wanted to give a statement. He insisted on his story being documented. We took his statement in the form of minutes. Everything was done in accordance with the law,” Alagic said.

The trial will continue on January 28, 2016, when the defense will begin presenting its evidence.