Bosnian Terrorism Defendant ‘Wore Explosives Belt in Syria’

Emir Alisic. Photo: Court of BiH

A protected witness codenamed S-2 told the Bosnian state court that he used to see defendant Emir Alisic in Syria, wearing a uniform and armed, and that he noticed an explosives belt around Alisic’s waist when he saw him in the town of Manbij.

S-2 said Alisic wore the explosive belt “for the sake of his own safety”.

The witness said he met Alisic during lectures in Maoca in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011, two years prior to his departure to Syria, where he was from mid-2013 to 2016.

S-2 added that he spent a certain period of time in Haritan in northern Syria together with other Bosnians, including Alisic.

“I used to see him there, where all the other Bosnian citizens were,” the witness said, adding that Alisic was dressed “like everyone else”, wearing camouflage uniform and carrying arms. He said that he thought that Alisic had an automatic rifle.

According to S-2’s testimony, the fighters were assigned weapons by their unit, while they bought uniforms “using their own money or [money] from the unit”.

He said that Bejt Komandos unit, led by Bajro Ikanovic, existed at the time, and that it was under the umbrella of the so-called Islamic State from early 2014.

He added that the Liberation Army and Jabhat al-Nusra were also present in Haritan at the time.

The witness said that, while in Haritan, he and Alisic were not members of the same unit, and that he did not know whether Alisic went to the frontlines.

He pointed out that he stayed in Haritan until March or April 2014, when he went to Raqqa, where he stayed until 2015.

“A unit commanded by Goran Pavlovic was established then,” the witness said, adding that the unit belonged to Islamic State and was mostly composed of Bosnians. He said he used to see Alisic there, among other people.

“While in Raqqa, we were mostly together,” witness S-2 said.

He explained that they were put on sentry duty in order to guard the Islamic State borders. He said that Alisic did sentry duty at the beginning, but later he brought documents confirming he had health problems, so he no longer had to do it.

While Alisic was still doing sentry duty, they travelled jointly by minivan “a couple of times”, but there were no combat activities on the border where they were deployed, he said.

The witness said that he went from Raqqa to Manbij, and that one group separated from Goran Pavlovic’s unit and joined Ramo Pazara’s group, while another group stayed with Pavlovic, but transferred to Manbij six months later.

“The unit disintegrated. We were distributed to Arabic units,” S-2 said, adding that all the units were under Islamic State control.

When Alisic was transferred to an Arabic unit, “he avoided going on sentry duty for health reasons”, the witness continued.

“We were armed. We carried weapons for the sake of our own protection,” S-2 said, mentioning that Alisic also had a suicide belt around his waist.

He said he stayed in Manbij from 2015 to April or May 2016.

When asked by the prosecution if he swore an oath and if he knew that Alisic swore one, S-2 said he did not swear any oath and did not know whether Alisic did, but he knew that some Bosnians swore an oath.

The prosecution asked by if they received money in Manbij, and the witness replied they got just enough to survive and not to starve to death.

S-2 said that he saw Alisic for the last time in April 2016, and that he was uniformed and armed at that time.

He told the court he returned from Syria in 2016 and has identified Alisic on the basis of photographs at the offices of the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, and the state prosecution several times since then.

Responding to a defence question, S-2 confirmed that he had never participated in a military operation with Alisic.

The trial is due to continue on November 3, when psychiatrist Azra Alajbegovic will present her findings after her psychiatric evaluation of four witnesses aimed at establishing whether or not they are capable of testifying.