Sladoje Evacuated Bodies of Victims, Witnesses Say

Goran Sladoje and Slobodan Bogdanovic have been charged with abducting Bajro and Suad Besic from their house and taking them to a garage on June 13, 1992. They beat them in the garage and then transported them to the Jewish cemetery in Sarajevo, where they used them as human shields. Suad Besic was killed as a result.

According to the charges, Bogdanovic and Sladoje were members of Serb military-police forces.

Ejup Pecar told the cantonal court of Sarajevo that unknown persons knocked on his door on June 14, 1992. He said he recognized one of the people as a man named Batko.

Pecar said he was among the sixteen people who were taken to the Jewish cemetery to be used as human shields. His mother and niece were killed as a result.

Pecar said he heard that Goran Sladoje evacuated their bodies, which were found near a minefield. He said he didn’t know how Sladoje managed to evacuate their bodies.

“He performed a humanitarian mission. We took the bodies and buried them the best we could,” Pecar said, adding he hadn’t heard about the incident of torture in the garage.

Pecar said he was in a working squad when he heard that Bajro and Suad Besic had been taken away. He said there were various military and paramilitary units in the area, but he didn’t see Sladoje.

Slobodan Bogdanovic’s defense attorney asked Pecar whether he knew the defendant. Pecar said he thought his last name was Bogdanovic, and said they were neighbours.

Pecar’s brother, Omer Pecar, also testified at this hearing. Omer Pecar said that everything Ejup Pecar said was true. He said he had heard that Sladoje helped evacuate the bodies of his mother and daughter.

The trial will continue on July 1.