Shooting from All Directions

Testifying in defence of Milos Pantelic at the trial for crimes in the Visegrad area, witnesses speak about an attack on villages in the Visegrad surroundings, claiming that “Muslims held barricades”.

Radomir Zivkovic, who testified as indictee Pantelic’s first defence witness, told the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina that Orliste village, near Visegrad, where Serbs lived, was attacked on April 12, 1992.
 
As he said, the attack was conducted by Muslims, who lived in the neighbouring villages.

“Shooting came from all directions. We did not even know what was happening to us. We did not know where the shooting came from,” Zivkovic said, explaining that unarmed Serb civilians stayed in the village.

As he continued testifying, Zivkovic said that several persons, including his neighbour – indictee Pantelic, were wounded during the attack on the village.

He explained that, after the attack the Serb population withdrew towards Gornja Lijeska village and that barricades “set up by Muslims” were placed at the entrance to Visegrad.

“I do not know whether they were members of the Green Berets, but I know that barricades were held by Muslims,” Zivkovic said.

Milos Pantelic is on trial, along with Ljubomir Tasic and Predrag Milisavljevic, for having participated in the murders, forced resettlement of the population, detention, torture, disappearances and other inhumane acts committed in Visegrad.

According to the charges, Milisavljevic and Pantelic participated in the murder of several tens of Bosniak civilians near the Paklenik pit, where Milisavljevic allegedly began shooting the prisoners before his colleagues. 

Second witness Dusan Kaljevic, who testified in defence of Pantelic, was wounded in an attack on Okoliste village on April 12, 1992.

“Who attacked the village? Neighbours attacked it, who else?!” Kaljevic said, explaining that he could not go to a hospital in Visegrad that day, because of the barricades.

“I know that Serbs did not hold the barricades. We did not have weapons. I do not know what the situation was in the villages, where Muslims lived,” Kaljevic said.

As he specified, Visegrad town became free with the arrival of the Uzice Corps.

The trial is due to continue on November 26, 2013, when the Defence of Pantelic will examine two new witnesses.