Beaten to Death in Batkovic

Alaga Habibovic told the District Court in Bijeljina that, after having worked in Serbia for a few months, his brother Sead was arrested, along with a few other people while crossing the state border.

Habibovic said that they were escorted to the “Sabirni centar” detention camp in Batkovici, Bijeljina municipality, where his brother was beaten up and left to bleed to death.

“A guard wanted to touch a young girl. My brother told him: ‘Come on buddy, leave her alone. She is just a child. There are other, healthier women, to satisfy yourself’. The guards then left, but they came back soon and began beating him. They continuously beat him, with only short breaks, from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. After that they left him lying on the ground. He bled to death and died at around 2 a.m.” Habibovic said.

The witness said that Mufti Osman Kavazovic, who was detained in “Sabirni centar” at that time as well, told him about the beating of his brother.

According to the witness’ testimony, a farmer found Sead’s body on the Sava River banks and buried it in the Sremska Mitrovica area, Serbia. The body was later transferred to Visoko. Once the identification process was complete, the body was handed over to the family.

At this hearing the witness said that he did not know the names of the guards who beat his brother up. He was not able to confirm whether the indictees were linked with that case either.

The Bijeljina District Prosecution charges Djoko Pajic, Petar Dmitrovic, Djordje Krstic and Ljubomir Misic, known as Ljubisa, with having beaten and physically mistreated prisoners, including civilians, the wounded and prisoners of war, in the “Sabirni centar” detention camp during 1992 and 1993.

The trial is due to continue on May 17.