Klickovic et al: Humane Exchange Commissions

On May 22, 1992 in “a neutral area” in Pritoka, near Bihac, Prosecution witness Esref Hadzic and indictee Mladen Drljaca participated in an exchange of civilians and soldiers, who were searched for by the Bosniak and Serb Prisoners Exchange Commission”.

“Prior to the exchange, members of the two Commissions held a meeting at which we agreed on the lists of persons who were going to be exchanged. This was the first time I saw Mladen Drljaca. It seemed as if he was superior to others,” Hadzic said. He represented Bosniaks in the Prisoner Exchange Commission.

Hadzic said that the exchange in Pritoka was conducted on May 10 and May 22, 1992, but indictee Drljaca participated in the second one only.

The Prosecution charges Mladen Drljaca, Gojko Klickovic and Jovan Ostojic with crimes in the Bosanska Krupa area in 1991 and 1992.

The results of the investigation, conducted by the Prosecution, which are attached to the indictment, indicate that Drljaca participated, as President of the Exchange Commission, in the exchange of forty prisoners on May 10 and May 22, 1992. It further alleges that the wartime Presidency of the so-called Serbian municipality of Bosanska Krupa made the decisions pertaining to the exchange.

“Other people, who were exchanged on May 10, said that some prisoners had been abused in Krupa. We conveyed this information to the Commission members, who represented the other party, at the meeting held prior to the second exchange. At that meeting we requested exchange of nine more prisoners, including Semsa and Kemal Sepic, who, according to our findings, had been most severely abused,” Hadzic said.

As indicated by this witness, Mladen Drljaca said that he would convey this request to his “superiors”, but he did not pronounce their names.

Hadzic said that, on May 22, 1992, Semsa Sepic was exchanged, together with other prisoners, as per a decision made by the wartime Presidency, but her husband and seven other persons, who had been searched for, were not exchanged.

“On that day we received a document, which indicated that the others could not be exchanged, because they had to be kept under custody,” Hadzic recalled, adding that the Commission members could not decide who would be exchanged and who would not.

“The Commission members cannot be accused of prosecution of people in this region, because we performed a humane job at the time. If there was anything humane in the war, those were the Exchange Commissions,” Hadzic said.

This witness added that the Commissions were composed of representatives of civilian and military authorities.

The trial is due to continue on Tuesday, October 14.