Prisoner Recalls Rape and Abuse in Bosnia Camps

The protected witness codenamed H told the fighters’ trial in Sarajevo on Tuesday that an unidentified man took her out of an improvised detention camp in the city of Mostar while she was held prisoner there in July 1992 and raped her.

“He picked me up and took me to my apartment. He told me to take my clothes off, and I told him: ‘Surely you wouldn’t do that?’ He started shouting and told me: ‘Why do you think I brought you here?’ And he did what he did,” said the witness.  

She recalled that she was taken to the Dretelj camp after ten days in Mostar. She said that prisoners at Dretelj were assaulted and some of them sexually abused.

“There was fear. Men were constantly beaten. There was hunger. They took you to do hard labour, and while they were taking you, you didn’t know what would happen to you. There was always uncertainty. Even today, when I laugh about something I wonder, where do I get the strength after all I went through?” said H.

The prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina has charged Ivan Zelenika, Srecko Herceg, Edib Buljubasic, Ivan Medic and Marina Grubisic-Fejzic, all former members of the Croatian Defence Forces, with war crimes committed in 1992 at the Dretelj detention camp and in Mostar.

According to the indictment, Zelenika was an officer with the Croatian Defence Forces, Herceg was a commander of the Dretelj military prison, Buljubasic was a member of the Croatian Defence Forces and deputy commander of the Dretelj barracks, and Medic and Grubisic-Fejzic were guards at Dretelj.

The indictment alleges that they all took part in torture and in forcing prisoners to do hard labour at the camp, where several people died as a result of the abuse.

Witness H said she was taken to do hard labour and abused while cleaning the army infirmary.

“A soldier, wearing only his underwear, went after me while I was cleaning. He told me to touch his crotch and look him in the eye while I did it. I did not look him in the eye and he slapped me,” said H.

She also recalled how a prisoner called Bozo Balaban was killed.

“I heard them beat him. Some people later entered the hangar and said he was dead and that they played football with his head,” said H.

Defendant Buljubasic confirmed that everything she said was true apart from the rumour that they played football with the dead man’s head, and apologised to the witness.

The trial will resume on June 11.