Dronjak: The Arrests of the Muslim Population
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Testifying before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Drazenko Marjanovic, a former police officer in the Secretariat of Internal Affairs (SUP) in Kljuc, said that the conflict started in the settlement of Krasulje (Kljuc municipality), when someone shot at members of the police on May 27, 1992.
According to Marjanovic, on that day, the shots came from the direction of Pudina Han towards the army that was coming from Knin, after which the arrests of the Muslims began.
After the events from May 27, 1992, Muslims were taken to the police station for questioning about the attacks on police officers and soldiers. Since there was a large number of people who were interrogated, I know that they were taken afterwards to Manjaca, Marjanovic said, adding that it is not known to him that Muslims were taken to Kamenica.
Marjanovic gave his testimony at the trial of Ratko Dronjak, former Manager of the detention facilities in Drvar municipality, who is charged with having participated in the establishment and maintenance of a punishment and abuse system in the “Slavko Rodic” school building and Kamenica detention camp from May 1992 to the end of 1995.
According to the charges, detained civilians and prisoners of war were subjected to torture, beating, murder and inhumane treatment every day, while also being forced to perform hard labour.
Witness Marjanovic said that after the conflict in the villages of Krasulje and Pudin Han, there were also shots at checkpoint in the settlement of Velagici, and that he was present there.
Answering the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovinas question about how many Muslims were left in Kljuc after the events from May 1992, the witness said that the Muslim population in Kljuc was minimal.
Veljko Cupac, second witness of the Defence, also gave his testimony at this hearing, and said that he drove one of the buses which were transporting the soldiers who had served in the Yugoslav National Army (JNA), when they were attacked near Pudin Han on 27 May 1992.
Bursts of gunfire reached us, and I think that the paramilitary units of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH) fired the shots, because we were warned about it at one checkpoint. We did not resist, but four or five soldiers died, and several were wounded, said Cupac.
At the end of this hearing, Minka Kreho, Chairwoman of the Trial Chamber, pointed out that in continuation of the trial the events in Drvar should be discussed, since Drvar is the subject of the indictment.
The trial will continue on December 22.S.U.
