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Milovan Djurdjevic, the driver of one of the trucks in the convoy of non-Serb civilians who were transported from Prijedor to Travnik in August 1992, says that Civcic and Zecevic, whom he knew from before the war, were not among the convoy escorts.
“I did not see Civcic. I believe that he was not there. I know Zecevic too, as we are neighbours. I did not see him either. He was not there,” Djurdjevic said.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Civcic, Zecevic, Radoslav Knezevic, Marinko Ljepoja and Branko Topola with having escorted a convoy of more than 1,000 civilians who were travelling from Prijedor to Travnik on August 21, 1992.
They then allegedly participated in separating and killing about 200 men at Koricanske stijene.
The indictment alleges that Civcic was Commander of the First Section with the Interventions Squad of the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, Zecevic, Ljepoja and Knezevic were members of that Squad and Topola was member of the Territorial Defence.
Responding to questions made by Trial Chamber Chairwoman Vesna Jasenkovic, witness Djurdjevic said that each bus and truck had one escort in it, but he was not able to see each one of them.
Djurdjevic said that he saw able-bodied men being separated from women, children and the elderly.
“I saw them taking those men out. Then they got on a separate bus. I did not pay attention to who was taking them out. They did not take anyone from my truck, as the passengers included women and children and a few elderly persons,” Djurdjevic recalled.
Also testifying in defence of Petar Civcic, witness Enes Dzaferagic said that a bus escort, whose name was Mile, saved him and the other civilians, when their bus broke down.
“Mile escorted the second bus, as the first one broke down twice. We got on the second bus, but that bus too broke down in the woods. Mile stayed with us the whole night. He saved us from some soldiers who had cockades on their caps when they came to the bus,” Dzaferagic said.
The trial is due to continue on June 16.
A.S.
