Bundalo et al: Helping a Person in Trouble

Mustafa Hodzic, who appeared as a Defence witness for indictee Nedjo Zeljaja, told the Court that he was detained in October 1994 “in the premises of the Interior Ministry in Kalinovik”, adding that when he was there he met the indictee, who introduced himself as police commander.

“I was detained for 21 or 22 days. Out of that, they examined me for five or six days. Nedjo Zeljaja was there as well. One day he stopped them from beating me, when a policeman started extinguishing cigarettes on my chest, arms and eyes. Nedjo took me to the bathroom and let me wash the blood,” the witness recalled. 

The State Prosecution charges Zeljaja, as commander of the Public Safety Station in Kalinovik, as well as Ratko Bundalo and Djordjislav Askraba, with crimes committed in Kalinovik Municipality in 1992 and 1993.

The indictment alleges that Zeljaja participated in capturing and torturing civilians who were detained in various buildings in Kalinovik.

Hodzic recalled that he was “handcuffed for 17 or 18 days” during the course of his detention, adding that the handcuffs were taken off “only when I had to go to the bathroom”. 

“Zeljaja was not there for a few days. When he came back, I told him that I would go insane. He responded by saying that their people were detained in Silos, near Tarcin, adding that they performed some labour. I told him I would do that as well. He told me to go and chop some firewood, while a policeman guarded me,” the witness said. 

He said that Zeljaja told him that he would be exchanged, adding that he protected him when they wanted to transfer him to the Correctional Facility in Foca, when he said that he wanted to exchange him for some people he knew. 

The witness was exchanged and released “on October 22 or 23, 1992”.  

The second Defence witness, Nedzib Muhovic, said he helped groups of Bosniaks from Foca Municipality “go to the other side”, adding that he did not know Nedjo Zeljaja. 

The trial is due to continue on April 9.