Kapic: Witness Remembers Captured Soldiers

In the course of the evidence presentation against Suad Kapic, the Prosecution of BiH has examined five witnesses, all former members of the 517th Brigade with the Fifth Corps of the BiH Army (ABiH).

In 1995, the four men were members of the “Apaci” Reconnaissance Squad, which was part of the 517th Brigade, commanded by Ibrahim “Baja” Nadarevic.

The Prosecution of BiH considers that Suad “Hodza” Kapic, a former member of the Third Battalion with the 517th Cazin Brigade of BiH Army’s Fifth Corps, took part in the capture of six members of the Republika Srpska Army (VRS) and Ministry of Internal Affairs of RS, near Dabar village in Sanski Most during the “Sana 95” military operation on September 18, 1995. Some of  the captives were later shot.

The indictment alleges that Kapic “killed three VRS members and then ordered another soldier to kill one more” and that the surviving soldiers were handed over to the Reconnaissance Squad with the 517th Brigade of BiH Army’s Fifth Corps.

During the examination, witness Almir Hozdic said that he saw two captured VRS soldiers during the military operation, “which had the aim of  liberating the area of the current Una Sana Canton” in the second half of 1995.

“One of them told me his name was Dragan Stupar. As we headed towards Dabar village, he said he would show us the way as he knew the area quite well. Stupar did not tell me who had arrested them and where. I do not know the name of the second captured soldier,” said Hozdic, adding that he heard that six VRS members had been arrested in the area.

“However, as my unit was going back, we only met two of them, who stayed with us for the next two days and nights before being handed over to the Police Unit of our corps.

“I heard Sead Begic, a member of the 517th Brigade, saying that he had arrested all six soldiers and that four of them had been killed. However, I do not know who had killed them. I saw the two surviving prisoners in the barracks in Bihac later on,” said Hozdic.

Asked by Defence attorney Senad Kreho during cross-examination if  Hasan “Hare” Hadzalic, commander of the “Apaci” Unit, was with the soldiers at the time, the witness said he was not, claiming that Hadzalic used to visit the units and, on the day the VRS soldiers were arrested, he had already completed the visit prior to the arrest.

“When Hadzalic was not around, he was replaced by Admir Begic. He was with us in those days,” Hozdic said.

This witness and second witness Mesud Mejakic said they did not know indictee Suad Kapic. Mejakic said that nickname Hodza was very common and that almost each unit had a member whose nickname was Hodza.

Witness Hase Zunic said that Kapic was a member of the Anti Armour Unit and that there were no members of the Third Battalion whose nickname was Hodza.

However, Zunic said that, on one occasion, he heard of a squad commander whose nickname was Hodza. This person once seized a tank, but this was not the indictee.

Witness Cazim Handanic said he never heard of Dabar village, while witness Ale Rekic said he heard of a “colonel in the Fifth Corps whose nickname was Hodza, but he was not member of Apaci”.

The trial is due to continue on January 31, when the Prosecution will examine four new witnesses, including Hasan Hadzalic and Ibrahim Nadarevic.