Memic et al: Blood and Bullet Shell Next to Body

Witness Ruza Mlikota said that soldiers who were dressed in black and camouflage uniforms came to her house, where she lived with her husband Branko, in Trusina village, Konjic municipality on April 16, 1993 and took them towards the village.
 
“They brought all the people from the village to Drlja’s house. One soldier put a revolver on my husband’s ear and asked him where he kept the revolver ammunition. He said it was at home, so the soldier took him to the house. (…)

“They started separating us from the men. We went inside a house. Before they started shooting the men, I went out of the house. They started shooting and killed all of them. I did not want to look, but anyone who wanted to look could see what was happening,” the witness said.
 
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, known as Struja, Senad Hakalovic, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago, known as Zuka, with having participated in the attack on Trusina village on April 16, 1993, when 18 civilians and four members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO were killed.
 
The indictment alleges that Alispago was Commander of the Zulfikar Special Purposes Squad with the Main Command Headquarters of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, Bojadzic was his Deputy, Memic, Salcin and Hodzic were members of that Squad and Senad Hakalovic was a member of the Neretvica 45th Mountain Brigade.
 
Mlikota said that after the shooting, the soldiers ordered them to come out of the house and carry weapons to a hamlet. She said that they went back to Trusina later that day.
 
“As I was passing by later on, I went inside the house and I saw Branko. He was dead. I saw blood around his ear and a bullet casing. He was hit in his ear,” the witness said, adding that other women told her that the soldier who had taken her husband with him was from Zenica.
 
The witness said that while she was in her neighbour Drlja’s house, together with other women, “Hakalovic, whom I knew from before”, came in and started searching in the drawers in the kitchen.
 
“I knew him from before. His father’s name was Zaim. He was wearing a camouflage uniform. He had a white band around his head. He was blonde, skinny and of medium height. All of Zaim’s sons look alike,” Mlikota said.
 
While giving a statement in Zagreb some time ago, the witness recognised indictee Hakalovic in photographs that were shown to her. However, the Defence objected to this and said that she only recognised Hakalovic after her son had suggested it to her.
 
Tomislav Milkota, witness Ruza’s son, testified at this hearing as well. The former HVO member said that her mother told him about the murder of his father and other men in Trusina, adding he heard that the attack was conducted by “Zuka’s forces”.
 
He said that he heard about a letter in which families of the killed people were invited to come, unarmed, to bury their family members, adding that the letter was signed by Zuka.
 
This witness told the Court that he was present when his mother gave the statement in Zagreb, adding that he was “casually examined” on that occasion.
 
“I asked if I could look at the photographs. The Prosecutor asked me if Senad was in any of them, and I said he was. She was there when I described him, but I do not know if she could hear me. I did not help her identify him,” the witness said.
 
At this hearing the Trial Chamber decided that indictee Hakalovic would remain in custody, ruling against a Defence motion asking the Court to release him.
 
The trial is due to continue on March 21 this year.