Witness Describes Murder, Abuse and Forced Labour of Kovacici Civilians at Papic Trial

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 on several occasions.Testifying for the prosecution, Dijana Markov said soldiers who looked like they belonged to the Yugoslav National Army arrived on her street in Kovacici on May 2, 1992. She said Bosnian Serb Army forces arrived in the area on May 20, 1992, and that the defendant was their commander.Markov identified Papic in the courtroom and said a neighbour told her his name. She described him as a skinny and tall man, who wore a hat and carried a gun while he was in Kovacici.Markov said a work squad, consisting of men whom she had known since childhood, was formed on her street. She said they carried firewood, cleaned and dug trenches, but she didn’t know where they worked.Markov said she saw three soldiers apprehend her neighbour Zijad Hadziselimovic, who was crying. She went into her house, but heard a gunshot soon after. She said later on she saw Hadziselimovic lying on the ground. Markov said she also heard of the murder of married couple with the last name Arslanagic and other neighbours. She said Fako Sabanovic, who was a member of the work squad, was beaten and severely injured.She also recalled having heard a child screaming in a house belonging to the Sabanovic family.“At that moment I knew something horrible was happening, but I could only hear it…The following morning was ghastly,” Markovic said, adding that the Sabanovic house had been set on fire. She said she found out later on that the inhabitants of the house had fled.Responding to questions by Papic and his defense attorney, Markov said she herself wasn’t mistreated and that she didn’t see the defendant participating in the events she described.“Papic gave orders and was in charge of everything,” Markov said.The trial will continue on January 29, 2016.