Witness Describes Protests of Families of Hadzici Captives at Silos Trial
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Kaleta testified in defense of Mustafa Djelilovic, who is charged with Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember with the unlawful detention, inhumane treatment, physical and mental suffering and forced labour of detainees in Hadzici.
According to the charges, Djelilovic was the president of the municipal assembly, crisis committee and wartime presidency of the municipality of Hadzici, while the other defendants were members of military and police authorities and managers of detention camps. Kalember was a guard at the Silos detention camp.
On the second day of his testimony, Kaleta said local authorities were not able to find out what had happened to 184 Bosniaks who were arrested and detained in the part of Hadzici under Serb control.
“The wives, children and mothers of those people organized a massive protest in Pazaric and Tarcin. They requested a moratorium to be put on all future exchanges until the fate of the 184 captives had been revealed,” Kaleta said.
Kaleta said this issue was important for security reasons, because many of the Hadzici captives were members of the Bosnian Army.
“There was a danger that their morale would be reduced, which would represent a threat to defense. This issue was raised to the state level, in fact to the State Commission for Prisoner Exchange and the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Kaleta said.
Kaleta said the wartime presidency received information on the mistreatment of detainees held at Silos and rendered a decision to reinforce the external security of the facility.
“It happened that some armed groups came by and the guards weren’t able to confront them,” he said. He said the public safety station was in charge of security services for a brief period of time.
When asked by the state prosecution whether he participated in the arrests of Serbs in any way, Kaleta said no.
The prosecution will continue examining witnesses on July 2.
