Bojadzic: Unable to Breathe Due to Beating

Witness Franjo Ramljak claims to have recognised Bojadzic’s voice, when soldier Deba was told “to bring Franjo Ramljak out”. As he said, after having been taken out to the corridor, he saw the indictee. He was then ordered to lie down facing the ground and stretch his hands out.

“Deba began hitting me. I thought I would die, because I could not breathe. My ribs ached the following day. I was not able to inhale as much air as I needed,” Ramljak said, adding that this happened in mid-July 1993.

As he said, prisoner Karlo Maric, former member of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, had been taken out and beaten up as well.

Bojadzic, former Deputy Commander of “Zulfikar” Unit with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, is on trial for the beating and sexual abuse of Croat prisoners in “The Battle of Neretva” Museum, as well as rape.

Ramljak, former HVO member, said that ABiH soldiers captured in Donja Grabovica, near Mostar on May 12, 1993 and took him to the Museum.

He mentioned that he saw the indictee in the museum for the first time a few days later, when he lined them up and told them that they would become members of ABiH. He said that other prisoners, who had previously been brought to the basement, told him that the man’s name was Nihad Bojadzic and that he was Zulfikar Alispago’s Deputy.

Ramljak told the Court that he used to meet Bojadzic, when he performed labour on Mount Boksevica in late June 1993 and in the “Zulfikar” Unit Command in Donja Jablanica.

Second State Prosecution witness Damir Gusic, former military policeman in Jablanica, told the Court that he guarded “The Battle of Neretva” museum during 1993 and that he worked in shifts. He said that he saw indictee Bojadzic twice.

The witness said that Bojadzic once came down to the basement, where men were held, but he did not know what he did in the basement. According to the witness, when the indictee came again, a prisoner was taken to the “Zulfikar” Unit Command in order to repair vehicles.

Gusic explained that captured Croat men were held in the basement premises.

He said that only those, who had permission from his superiors, one of whom was Bojadzic, could enter the basement.

As he said, commanders gave oral instructions to military policemen to let the indictee enter the basement premises, which were locked.

The two witnesses said that the indictee was always dressed in military uniform.

The trial is due to continue on February 28.