Savic and Mucibabic: Leaving Nevesinje villages

Ahmet Micijevic, who appeared as Prosecution witness at the trial of Krsto Savic and Milko Mucibabic, described how he was captured in Rabina village, Nevesinje municipality, on June 14, 1992. He said he was then detained in the Yugoslav National Army (YNA) house, where he was beaten and mistreated.

“We fled from Rabine village and went to a nearby forest on June 14, 1992. Some army members captured my neighbour Omer and me and drove us to the YNA House by a military vehicle. When we got there they examined and beat us. They stopped beating us when a person named Parezanin came,” Micijevic said.

The State Prosecution charges Krsto Savic and Milko Mucibabic with having committed crimes against humanity in the course of 1992, by participating in forcible deportation, disappearances, murder, rape and the detention of Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats from the Nevesinje, Gacko, Kalinovik and Bileca areas.

The witness claims that, after the beating he was taken to Gumance hamlet, where he spent the following night “in a truck.” The witness said that, at dawn a soldier told him to “move towards the forest” and he did. He said that he spent 13 days hiding in the wood, until he reached Podvelezje, near Mostar.

“My three sons and my wife went towards Podvelezje when I was captured. Later on my mother told me that my wife had returned to our village and she then got killed. We exhumed her remains in 2004,” the witness recalled.

Jusuf Catic appeared as the second Prosecution witness. He said he was captured in Zulj village in Nevesinje municipality, and that his son was taken away. He said his son’s body has still not been found.

“The military gathered all Bosniak residents in front of the mosque on June 14, 1992. They singled out six young persons, including my son, and took them away. I have never seen them again. We have not found their bones yet,” Catic said, explaining that this happened in early morning hours.

The witness said that, at about noon that same day the residents of Zulj village were gathered again and he war captured, as well as 12 other men.

“They first took us to Vranjevici village, Nevesinje municipality. They beat us a little, they fired bullets above our heads, they drove us crazy, but they did not kill anyone. A bit later they took us to a location in Nevesinje town. I do not know where exactly. They examined me and then they released me. I have never seen the other captured men again,” Catic said, adding that he left Zulj village after this event.

The trial is due to continue on June 9.