Kornjaca et al: Covered with Blood and Unkempt

Witness Semka Colak said that her brother-in-law Salih, known as Salko, was detained in the hunters’ house in Mostina in May 1992.

“Salko came home on the night of May 19, 1992. He was covered with blood and unkempt. He had blood stains on his hair and clothes. He said that they had killed all the people in Mostina, adding that they would come and kill us as well,” witness Colak said. She explained that her brother-in-law told her who had committed the murders, but she could not remember the names.

The witness told the Court that Salko told her that they had beaten and “slaughtered” the detainees in Mostina.

“He said that the most difficult moment was when they slaughtered our neighbour Braco…They came in, armed with automatic guns, and started shooting. Salih said that Prle fell on him, so they thought that he was dead too,” Colak recalled.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Milun Kornjaca, Milorad Zivkovic, known as Zika, and Dusko Tadic, also known as Rus, with the persecution of Bosniaks in the Cajnice area and the murder of 11 civilians committed in Mostina on May 19, 1992. The indictment alleges that Kornjaca was Commander of the “Plavi orlovi” (“Blue Eagles”) paramilitary unit, Zivkovic was Chief of the Public Safety Station in Cajnice and member of the Crisis Committee in Cajnice municipality and Tadic was member of “Plavi orlovi”.

The trials of Kornjaca,, and Zivkovic and Tadic, are conducted separately before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but joint witnesses are examined at the same time to improve efficiency.

Witness Colak said that she left Cajnice, together with other Bosniaks, on May 20, 1992.

“All Muslims fled at that time. I moved towards Mostina, accompanied by my children, mother-in-law and brother-in-law Himzo, while my brother-in-law Salko and father-in-law took another road, as they did not dare travel via Mostina,” Colak said, adding that she went to Macedonia, where she heard that her brother-in-law and father-in-law had been “taken off the bus and returned back to Mostina”.

The witness did not say what had happened to her brother-in-law and father-in-law, but other witnesses have said that they were killed and exhumed in Mostina. Mirzet Colak, the witness’ husband, who testified at this trial on February 7, 2011, accused Dusko Tadic and Milun Kornjaca of the death of his father and brother.

Semka Colak confirmed at this hearing that her husband Mirzet was detained in Mostina in mid April, adding that he was beaten up and transferred to a hospital in Cajnice and then to Pljevlja. The witness said that she reunited with her husband in Prijepolje, adding that they left for Macedonia together.

The Defence of Dusko Tadic said that, in her statement given to the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA in February 2007, the witness did not say that she had reunited with her husband in Prijepolje. In response, the witness said that she did not know why this was not mentioned in her statement.

The trial is due to continue on May 30.

A.S.