Witness in Blagojevic Trial Says He Saw Injured Party Wandering in Pyjamas

Rajko Blagojevic, the former assistant commander for security with the First Ozrenska Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS), has been charged with ordering unidentified persons to kill a Bosniak civilian in Rajcevo in the Maglaj area in 1992.

Testifying at today’s hearing, witness Ostoja Ivancevic said he was mobilized in June 1992. He said he saw an old man groaning while going to fetch food for him and his comrades. He said he asked three soldiers who the old man was and who had brought him there, but they laughed and told him to take him back home. He said he found out later on that the old man’s name was Hidajet Osmanagic, also known as Hitko.

Ivancevic said he got approval to visit his house on the following day. On his way there he said he saw two soldiers, namely Nenad Pejic and Radenko Vasiljevic, alternately carrying Osmanagic, who was blindfolded. Ivancevic said he told them to let him return to his people, but they told him they did not dare.

Ivancevic said they carried Osmanagic to a bakery shop in Jablanica, where the command was situated. Ivancevic said the security guard called Rajko Blagojevic.

“I didn’t hear the entire conversation, because I was about ten meters away. I only saw Rajko threatening the man by waving his pen and telling him, ‘I don’t want to take you any further,’” Ivancevic said. He said this happened in late June or early July 1992.

Ivancevic said a few months later Bosko Pejic told him Osmanagic had been shot and showed him his grave. Ivancevic said Pejic told him that after Rajko Blagojevic had asked for volunteers to shoot him, men named Raso and Zvjerac volunteered and killed him.

During cross-examination, Ivancevic said he did not know which unit Blagojevic was in or what his duties were. Ivancevic said he knew Blagojevic was a security officer who interrogated Bosniaks and unsuitable Serbs. However, Ivancevic said he neither attended the interrogation nor saw any documents containing Blagojevic’s signature.

Ivancevic said he heard rumours later on that Hidajet Osmanagic was with Rajko Blagojevic in Rajcevo and that he was drawing maps showing the positions of the Croatian Defense Council. According to Ivancevic, a compound with trucks, fuel and so on was situated in Rajcevo. Ivancevic said he did not know what Blagojevic was doing there.

The trial will continue on April 12.