Smajlovic Not Responsible for Rapatnica Detention Facility, Defense Witnesses Say

Ekrem Ibracevic, Faruk Smajlovic and Sejdalija Covic have been charged with abusing and torturing Serb civilians in Rapatnica and Luke from June to August 1992.

According to the indictment, Ibracevic was the chief of military security with the municipal headquarters of the Territorial Defense in Srebrenik, Smajlovic was the commander of the military police squad and Covic was a military policeman.

Suad Imsirovic, a former guard in the Rapatnica detention facility, testified at today’s hearing. Imsirovic said Smajlovic was the commander of the traffic section of the military police, which was not in charge of the detention unit.

“We belonged to the anti-terrorist squad…Our commander was Safer Ahmetovic,” Imsirovic said.

Imsirovic said Ahmetovic became the commander of military police in Srebrenik, when it grew from a squad to a company.

Imsirovic said his deployment at the Rapatnica detention unit lasted approximately a month in July and August 1992. He said Smajlovic and Covic didn’t visit the detention unit. He said he would see Ekrem Ibracevic there when he visited the facility to perform inspections.

According to the witness, Ismet Imsirovic was in charge of the detention unit.

Imsirovic said members of the Bosnian Army who violated disciplinary procedures and Serb captives were held in the detention unit. He said he didn’t notice injuries on the detainees and didn’t hear that they were tortured.

He said he left his post as a guard following an incident involving Mustafa Covic, who came to the facility late one evening and asked for the keys to the detention unit.

“He asked me who was downstairs and wanted to get the keys. I told him I would not give them to him unless he had written approval. He pointed his rifle at me and I did the same,” Imsirovic said. He said he then left the unit and joined the military police traffic squad.

Nusret Imsirovic, a former member of the traffic section of military police, also testified today in Smajlovic’s defense. He said Smajlovic was their commander, that he gave them orders and visited them at checkpoints.

According to Imsirovic, the military police included an interventions section as well as a section for guarding people and buildings. Imsirovic was unable to specify who the commanders of those sections were.

He also said that Ismet Imsirovic was the manager of the detention unit.

The trial will continue on February 2.