Memic et al: Nihad Bojadzic’s Personality

“This happened on Mujo’s estate. The captured soldier looked scared. Nihad was standing on the side. Soldier Deba put a revolver pipe into his mouth and forced him to sing. I found it hard to watch that, so I sat in my car and left,” said witness Z, who had a senior position with a unit of the Main Command Headquarters of ABiH.

As he said, this incident happened in August or September 1993, when the “Zulfikar” Unit Command, where Bojadzic was Deputy Commander, was situated in Jablanica. Data available to the witness suggest that Bojadzic used to stay in the Command and on Mujo’s estate at that time.

Witness Z said that he thought that the captured soldier was not shot after all.

Prosecutor Vesna Budimir said that, by this testimony she wanted to show Bojadzic’s personality and role in the Unit, although the incident involving the captured soldier was not mentioned in the indictment, charging Bojadzic with crimes in Trusina village in mid-April 1993. Bojadzic is on trial in separate case for crimes committed in Jablanica.

Responding to questions made by Bojadzic’s Defence attorney Vasvija Vidovic, the protected witness said that he did not report the incident to anybody.

Also, the witness spoke about a quarrel between Bojadzic and Zulfikar ‘Zuka’ Alispago, former Commander of “Zulfikar” Unit with the Main Command Headquarters of ABiH. As he said, following the quarrel, Bojadzic told Alispago: “You cannot tell me what I should do!”

“Bojadzic behaved as if he was some sort of a commander,” the protected witness said.

Besides Bojadzic and Alispago, Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin and Nedzad Hodzic, former members of “Zulfikar” Squad, and Senad Hakalovic, former member of “Neretvica” Brigade of ABiH, are on trial for crimes committed in Trusina, where 18 Croat civilians and four HVO soldiers were killed.

Bojadzic is charged with having commanded the attack on Trusina from a nearby hill and, following the end of the attack, ordered the shooting of a few civilians and captured HVO members. Alispago is charged with having failed to punish his subordinates, who participated in the shooting.

The protected witness then explained the relations between members of the “Zulfikar” Unit, saying that soldiers respected Commander Alispago. He said that his unit participated in one or two operations, along with the “Zulfikar” Unit.

“I personally heard Zuka telling soldiers, prior to military operations, not to make any stupid things when dealing with civilians,” the witness recalled.

The public was excluded from the hearing twice, when questions that could potentially reveal the identities of witnesses were posed.

The trial is due to continue on Monday, September 3, when a new protected State Prosecution witness will be examined.