Dzeko: Murders at Doorstep
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Protected witness E, who was a member of the Neretvica Brigade of the ABiH during the attack on Trusina, said that Dzeko led a group of soldiers, who entered the village, while he was in another group with Samir Semsovic and Samko and Nedzad Hodzic, members of the Zulfikar Squad.
As he said, during the military operation Dzeko grabbed an elderly man, who was standing at his doorstep, pulled him down to the ground and shot him.
His wife came out and began screaming: My Ilija, my Ilija! Dzeko told her: Shut up, shut up. He then shot her in her head, the witness said, adding that he was a few metres away when this happened.
Protected witness E disagreed with Defence attorney Edina Residovic, who said that those murders were committed by Rasema Handanovic, known as Zolja, and another member of the Zulfikar Squad.
As he said, at the end of the operation in Trusina the witness headed towards Gaj hamlet, where he saw between seven and eight Croats, who were lined up. He said that they were dressed in civil and military uniforms. The protected witness said that he sat behind a bush and watched the shooting of those men.
He said that members of the Zulfikar Unit shot the captives.
A blonde guy in uniform was among the lined men. At that moment Nedzad spoke to somebody via walkie-talkie. He then said: Shooting squad! The blonde guy began running away. Eniz Popara opened fire at him. Everybody else began shooting after that. Nedzad, Dzeko and Zolja were shooting in the direction of the captives, the witness said.
Defence attorney Residovic referred to two statements given by this witness. He gave one of them to Zulfikar Alispago in 1996 and the other to the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2009. She said that, in those statements, he said different things about the shooting of prisoners in Gaj hamlet. Reading the statements, the attorney said that Hodzic opened fire at the prisoners out of revenge, because Samko was wounded during the military operation.
Whatever I told the Prosecution, I told Zuka as well, the witness said.
Residovic said that he did not mention Dzeko in his statement given to the Prosecution either, but the witness responded by saying that he had always mentioned him.
Dzeko is charged with having participated in the shooting of prisoners in Trusina village and the murder of three elderly civilians. Besides that, he is charged with crimes in Jablanica in the second half of 1993.
Hodzic and Alispago, former Commanders of the Zulfikar Squad, are on separate trial for crimes committed in Trusina. After having admitted guilt for having participated in the shooting, Handanovic was sentenced to five and a half years in prison.
The trial is due to continue on October 30.
A.J.
