Zivkovic and Tadic: Aware of Persecutions

Prosecutor Dzevad Muratbegovic said that his allegations were proved by witnesses’ statements and material evidence.

He said that Bosniak civilians from Cajnice were arrested and then detained by policemen of the Public Safety Station in Cajnice, as well as members of the Territorial Defence and the “Plavi orlovi” (“Blue Eagles”) paramilitary unit.

“This was not an individual crime, but a systematic treatment of civilians and their property. Zivkovic and Tadic must have known about the attack. The attack could not have happened without them knowing about it, because Cajnice is a small municipality,” the Prosecutor said.

The indictment alleges that Zivkovic was Chief of the Public Safety Station and member of the Crisis Committee, while Tadic was member of “Plavi orlovi”.

Prosecutor Muratbegovic spoke about the personal participation of indictee Zivkovic in the unlawful arrest of civilians. Among other things, he called upon a testimony by Mirzet Colak, who said, while testifying at this trial, that policemen had arrested him as per Zivkovic’s order.

“The policemen told him who had given them the order to arrest him,” the Prosecutor said.

The Prosecutor then gave a brief summary of Sajma Kesan’s testimony. Kesan said that, after having left the police premises, she went to Dusko Kornjaca, former President of the Crisis Committee in Cajnice, requesting him to release her husband.

“He told her: ‘You should ask Zika’,” Muratbegovic said.

He said that it had been proved that Tadic participated in the arrest of some civilians and taking them to Mostina, near Cajnice, where he participated, along with Veljo Tadic, in the murder and disappearances of those people.

According to the charges, the murder of 26 civilians, who were held in the hunters’ house at Mostina, was committed in May 1992.

Muratbegovic is due to continue presenting his closing statement on February 20.
A.J.