Mejakic et al: Room 26

Protected Prosecution witness K03 was brought to Omarska camp on 30 May 1992. In August he was transferred to Trnopolje and released on 14 December the same year. He still clearly remembers the torture in room 26 in Omarska detention camp.

“I remember that life conditions in room 26, in which I stayed for some time, were unbearable,” witness K03 told the Court during the trial of four indictees from Prijedor.

“Between 300 and 400 detainees lived in the one-window room. We usually [urinated and defecated] into bags or boots because we knew they would beat us if we asked to go out to the toilet.”

Indictees Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic are charged with murders, rape, torture and beating up of Bosniaks and Croats forcibly detained in Omarska and Keraterm detention camps during 1992.

K03 has recalled that indictee Knezevic, also known as Duca, took part in the beating up of four detainees.

“In June in front of ‘Bijela kuca’ I saw four beaten detainees who were washing themselves in the rain. Standing next to them were Zoran Zigic, a person known as Saponja, Duca and a few more guards. I was told by other detainees that it was Duca, but, as far as I can remember, he was rather big and somehow seemed strong,” the witness claims.

According to the indictment, Knezevic visited Omarska and Keraterm detention camps occasionally in order to “take part in killing, beating and raping of detainees”.

In February 2005 Zoran Zigic, also known as Ziga, was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to 25 years imprisonment for crimes committed in these detention camps.

K03 has said that, during his detention in Omarska he “used to see Mejakic, who was the camp commander”.

“Detainees told me that he was the commander of the camp. I saw him for the last time on 6 August 1992 when he called out the people who would be transported by buses to Manjaca or Trnopolje. I know that the shift manager in the detention camp was Ckalja, whom I knew by his nickname as we used to go to the same school,” witness K03 claims.

The indictment alleges that, from 24 May to 30 August 1992, Mejakic was commander of Omarska detention camp, while Momcilo Gruban, also known as Ckalja, was commander of one of the three guard shifts.

K03 was released in December, after signing a statement saying that he “left his property to Republika Srpska”.

The trial continues on 22 August when the Prosecution is to examine protected witness K033.