Radic et al: From One Detention Camp to Another

The trial of Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic has continued with the testimony of two Prosecution witnesses, who spoke about murders and maltreatment of prisoners in Vojno detention camp near Mostar.

The four former members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) are charged with having committed crimes against Bosniak civilians detained in Vojno. These detainees also included old people, women and children. They were all maltreated, performed hard work, while some women were raped.

“Fifty of us were escorted from Heliodrom detention camp to Vojno. Mario Mihalj and Damir Sunjic escorted us. They tied our right hands with telephone cable and we had to keep our left hands above our heads. Whoever did not hold his hand up was hit in the back with a gun butt, ” said witness Ramiz Mackovic.

Mario Mihalj, whose name is mentioned in the indictment, died before the four indictees were arrested.

Mackoviv said that he was detained in several other camps in BiH before coming to Vojno. He was arrested in Maglaj on June 25, 1993. He was first held in detention in Maglaj and he was then transferred to other camps in Mostar, Zepce, Drvar, Ljubuski, Maglaj and other municipalities.

The witness recalled that indictee Mirko Vracevic recognised one man who was standing in a column together with other prisoners. He told the man: “Tomorrow at 8.00 you should dig yourself a grave, as I shall come to kill you at 9.00,” he then shot him in the head in front of all the other prisoners.

“Vracevic shot him several times. Some bullets hit Junuz Kovacevic in his hand and collar bone,” said Mackovic, adding that Kovacevic was wounded and that, after they were all handed over to the guards in Vojno detention camp, he never saw the man again.

The group of 50 prisoners, including witness Mackovic, was situated in a garage that had “blood spots on its ceiling and floor”. Prisoners were taken out from that room and forced to perform labour.

“Every night, when we returned from work, they would beat two or three prisoners in front of the garage. They said this was because they did not keep their hands behind them and because they had taken cigarettes from soldiers during work time,” Mackovic said.

The second prosecution witness testified under the pseudonym of AA. He also claims to have been transferred from Heliodrom detention camp to Vojno. He added that he was transferred twice, and both times he was held in Vojno for about 20 days before being sent back to Heliodrom.

“I saw Damir Brekalo beating two prisoners while they were digging trenches not far from where I was. At some stage he got tired of hitting them and he came to me, sat down and offered me a cigarette.
He did not hit me,” protected witness AA said.

The witness said that, after this incident, he never saw the two men, who were beaten by Brekalo, again.

At the request of the Trial Chamber, court expert Dr Haso Sejfo was also examined. He examined indictee Damir Brekalo and gave his opinion about the indictee’s capability to follow the trial and the need to undergo surgery.

The court expert considers, “based on the reviewed documentation”, that Brekalo can follow the trial and that the surgery can be done after the trial has been completed.

Brekalo claims that he has frequent headaches caused by the injuries he got in the war.

The trial is due to continue on November 12.