Former Member of Mice Paramilitary Unit Admits to Shooting Prisoners on Mount Borje

The state prosecution has charged Dario Slavuljica, Dragan Marjanovic, Sasa Gavranovic, Vitomir Devic, Zoran Sljuk, and Dragomir Kezunovic with taking 28 detained non-Serb civilians from a Teslic police station and the nearby Pribinic prison to Mount Borje on the night of June 17 and 18, 1992. There, the defendants allegedly killed them.

According to the charges, Marjanovic was the commander of the First Squad of the military police of the Teslicka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army. The other defendants were members of that squad as well as members of the “Mice” paramilitary formation.

“I did it. I participated in it. I was aware that one day it would come to this. I’m ready to answer for that crime,” Slavuljica said, testifying for the state prosecution.

In May 1992, Slavuljica said he was a member of the Bosnian Serb military in Mostar, but was transferred to Doboj. A month later, he said, he was transferred to Pribinic to serve as a driver for the Teslic Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army.

“We were in a school, across from a facility with a prison. As per an order of Ranko Sljuka I became commander Dragan Marjanovic’s driver,” Slavuljica said.

Slavuljica said he saw some detainees held in the prison in Pribinic who were brought there by Bosnian Serb military police.

During a day off, Slavuljica said he and Saga Gavranovic went to their girlfriends’ houses, and on their way back to Teslic they saw a truck with Kezunovic and Marjanovic inside. He said they were ordered to go to the police station in Teslic.

“I sat in the patrol car. Marjanovic sat next to me and told me to drive to Borje. All of a sudden, he told me to turn left and the truck overran us,” Slavuljica said. He said there was a column of cars behind them, which then stopped.

On Mount Borje, Slavuljica said he saw some military police members he didn’t recognize holding automatic rifles. Slavuljica said he saw prisoners coming out of the trucks, who were ordered to lie on the ground.

“Marjanovic told us to stop next to the truck. I recall seeing Sljuka, Devic, Momic, Marjanovic…We didn’t have automatic rifles and were told to stand in front of the prisoners with the men with the automatic rifles standing in the back,” he said.

Slavuljica said he tried to run away. He said Kezunovic yelled at him and said, “Kid, come back. No running. We’re all in this together.”

“Then Dragan Marjanovic told us to get our pistols out and shoot. There was silence for a few seconds. I said, ‘If we have to do this, you go first.’ Marjanovic started shooting and then we all did,” Slavuljica said.

Around 18 people were killed during the first round of shooting, Slavuljica said. He said another group was brought later and was killed in the same manner.

Upon their return to Teslic, Slavuljica said he asked Marjanovic what was happening, to which he said he received the following answer, “This was an order by Dejan Milanovic which had to be executed.”

“The next day I drove Marjanovic to Milanovic. I heard him say that the assignment had been completed. Milanovic said, ‘Great, I’ll cover it up with some paperwork,’” Slavuljica said.

When asked by defendant Milan Romanic if he was ready to face Marjanovic, the witness said that he was.

Slavuljica cross-examination has been scheduled for January 28.