Witness Says He was Abducted and Apprehended by Andabak
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Zdenko Andabak, Muamir Jasarevic and Sead Velagic have been charged with the detention, torture and murder of Serb civilians detained in the Ivan Goran Kovacic school building in Livno.
According to the charges, Andabak was the commander of military police of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO) for the North-Western Herzegovina Operational Zone, Jasarevic was his deputy, while Velagic was a member of the crime service of the Croatian Defense Council’s military police.
State prosecution witness Rade Pokrajac said he was abducted from his house in Mali Guber in the municipality of Livno in July or August, but was unable to remember the year. He said he was taken away two times in total and that Andabak apprehended him on one of the two occasions.
Pokrajac said that was the first time he met Andabak, who told him at that time whose son he was.
According to Pokrajac, he was detained in a locker room in the school along with his cousin, Nenad Pokrajac. He said his cousin was taken away to a classroom one night and was beaten. He said he could hear his screams.
“They brought Nenad back. He was unconscious. He lost his teeth. His hat and one shoe stayed in front of the door. I said to myself, ‘They’ll kill me too,’” Pokrajac said. He said he was released, but his cousin died from the abuse he experienced. His body remained in the school.
When asked if he knew why his cousin was killed, Pokrajac said he didn’t know, citing his property as a possible reason.
Slobodan Milasinovic was the second state prosecution witness to testify at today’s hearing. Milasinovic said he attended an exhumation of bodies from Zastinje in the municipality of Livno in September 1999, in his capacity as a district judge from Banja Luka.
He said there were suspicions that the bodies of killed Serbs were buried in a pit in Zastinje. He said 10-15 bodies were recovered during the exhumation. Milasinovic confirmed having signed 13 reports on their identification and the inspection of the crime scene.
Also testifying at today’s hearing, Veso Blesic said he found the body of his brother, Dusan, in the pit.
He said an eyewitness survivor told him his brother was taken from Rijeka in Croatia to Tomislavgrad, and then to execution by shooting.
The trial will continue on February 17.
