Families of the Missing Against Exchange of Silos Prisoners, Witness Says

Defendants Fadil Covic, Mustafa Delilovic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember have been charged with crimes in the municipality of Hadzici. According to the charges, they were members of military and police authorities, as well as managers or guards in detention camps.

They’ve been charged with the unlawful detention, inhumane treatment, and physical and mental suffering of civilians. They have also allegedly took detainees to locations where they performed forced labour.

Testifying at today’s hearing, Ferida Nisic said she was still searching for her brother and a few cousins from the village of Musici in Hadzici. She said she was a member of a group of families of the missing called “Group 46.” She said this group was explicitly against the exchange of prisoners from the Silos detention facility until they received information on what happened to their family members.

“Our request was named ‘All for all,’ meaning we wanted them brought [back] dead or alive,” Nisic said.

Covic’s defense attorney, Kadrija Kolic, presented Nisic with a video recording made during a meeting with families of the missing in January 1993. The recording depicts the wives, sisters and parents of the missing, saying they would block the delivery of food and firewood to the Silos detention facility. They said they would block the delivery because they had nothing to eat and were still searching for their missing family members.

“They told me all sorts of things when I asked for food for my nine month old daughter. They said I was young and I would find a way to get food. I can find a new husband right now, but I’m searching for the father of my child,” a woman in the recording said.

Halid Merdanovic, a former member of the crime service of the police station in Pazaric in 1992, was the second witness to testify at today’s hearing. Merdanovic said he was involved in a search of the area as well as the arrest of Serbs who were suspected of arms possession.

Merdanovic said he also participated in the arrest of Bosniaks who were associated with stealing and smuggling weapons at the time. Merdanovic said some individuals were arrested for their own safety.

“Those people were brought to the school in order to give statements. Those who stayed because of weapons that were found in their homes were accommodated in a school gym in Pazaric. After a shelling they were transferred to Silos in Tarcin and Krupa,” Merdanovic said.

Merdanovic said people who were found with weapons in their homes were treated like enemies. He said criminal reports were written against them and were forwarded to competent bodies. Merdanovic said they were criminally processed.

Merdanovic said the wartime presidency of the municipality of Hadzici decided who would be detained or released from the Silos facility. Merdanovic said he personally didn’t see any such decisions, but heard about them from his superior officer.

Responding to a question from the prosecution, Merdanovic said he remembered a man with the last name of Glavas from Osenik. He said he and his colleagues found Glavas hiding underneath a couch when they searched his house.

“We brought him to Pazaric, where he stayed for a day or two before being transferred to Silos. He was then taken to Igman in order to perform labour. We heard that Juka’s, Zuka’s guys killed him,” Merdanovic said.

He said defendant Becir Hujic couldn’t return any persons brought to Silos or influence their release.

Merdanovic said he knew defendant Mirsad Sabic, who participated in the exchange of prisoners detained in Silos. He said never heard that Sabic beat any of the prisoners.

According to a document presented by Sabic’s defense, Nail Hujic, was the commander of the police station at least until June 15, 1992.

Ferida Nisic’s examination will continue on February 25.