Klickovic et al: Unknown gentleman

Prosecution witness Hamdija Balkic said that, following his arrest in late April 1992, he and his brothers and father were taken to the school building in Jasenica. During the course of his detention he had to appear “before the Serbian Court Martial”, where he was allegedly examined by “judge Mladen Drljaca”.

The witness could not recognize Drljaca in the courtroom.

“We were taken, one by one, to the museum in Jasenica, which was turned into ‘a Serbian court martial’. When I got there I saw Dmitar Ciganovic and judge Drljaca. There were some knives and swords on the table. They asked me if we intended to use them to slaughter Serbs. After the examination, I was given a copy of a decision, which indicated that I was found not guilty,” Balkic said, adding that, after “the verdict” was issued, he was transferred to the “Petar Kocic” school building.

Balkic said that “an unknown gentleman” read “the court’s decision” to him. Later on other inmates told him that the gentleman’s name was Drljaca.

The Prosecution charges Mladen Drljaca, Gojko Klickovic and Jovan Ostojic with having participated in crimes against Bosniaks in the Bosanska Krupa area in 1991 and 1992. Drljaca is charged with having been a presiding judge with the temporary Court Martial in Jasenica in 1992.

Dmitar Ciganovic is mentioned in the indictment against Klickovic as an accomplice in the joint criminal enterprise, aimed at creating “Serbian municipality of Bosanska Krupa, which would be populated exclusively by Bosnian Serbs”.

“In the course of my detention in ‘Petar Kocic’ school building, we had to clean Krupa town every day. On one occasion they took seven of us to a hospital, where they beat us up, while forcing us to sing various songs,” Balkic said.

Balkic was released during an exchange in 1992, but he could not remember the exact date.

The trial is due to continue on Tuesday, August 19, when the Prosecution will examine two witnesses.