Local Justice – Bejtic: Guard in Front of Command Building

Responding to questions made by Trial Chamber Chairman Jasenko Ruzic, witness Selak said that he used to see Bejtic as a guard in front of the Brigade Command building, but he could not remember if he saw him in a dugout in Bogusevac at Kazani.

“I used to see him in the Command building. I know him as a guard who was on duty in front of the Brigade Command building, but I do not remember seeing him in the dugout,” Selak said.

Selak and four other witnesses, who were invited to testify at this hearing, said that they stuck to the statements they previously gave at the trial against Bejtic before the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo.

The Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecution charges Bejtic, former member of the 10th Mountain Brigade of ABiH, with having taken Zoran Vucurevic close to the division line controlled by ABiH on December 25, 1992, killed him from a revolver, poured diluent over his body and set the body on fire.

Among other things, the indictment alleges that, in mid-September 1993 Bejtic, who was accompanied by other ABiH members, participated in the beating of two civilians in the Command of the 10th Mountain Brigade. They allegedly then took the civilians to Kazani and killed them.

In July 2006 the Sarajevo Cantonal Court sentenced Samir Bejtic to 14 years and six months in prison for the murder of civilians at Kazani, Sarajevo. The parties appealed the verdict. In January 2007 the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, FBiH upheld the appeals and ordered a new trial.

Following the retrial, in July 2008 Bejtic was acquitted of the charges that he committed murder, beating and abuse of civilians at Kazani.

In November 2010 the Cantonal Prosecution filed another appeal with the Supreme Court of FBiH. The verdict was then revoked and a retrial before the Sarajevo Cantonal Court ordered.

Besides Selak, witnesses Samir Seferovic, Fuad Abadzic, Omer Tendzo and Sabahudin Ziga said that they stuck to their statements given during the previous trial, adding that they would not change anything in their earlier statements.

Selak, Seferovic, Tendzo and Ziga said that they stuck to the statements they gave during the previous trial and not to the statements they gave in their capacity as suspects.

Witness Samir Seferovic pointed out that, considering the fact that he was suspected of the crime charged upon Bejtic, he was beaten up while giving statements at the Central Prison.

Witness Omer Tendzo said that he was abused while giving his statements, but he did not say where those statements were taken.

“We had problems with the beating. Each of us gave our statements in line with what we were told to say. They broke all my teeth, I had a brain concussion,” Tendzo said.

Fifth witness Sabahudin Ziga said that he was mistreated while giving his statement, but he said he would rather not think about it. The witnesses did not specify who took their statements.

The trial is due to continue on October 4 this year.

A.S.