Indictee Behaving in a Correct Manner
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Witness Pero Jukic, who was a pastor in Kakanj during the war, said that it was known to him that the indictee was Manager of a prison in the Mine Directorate building, but he had never heard anyone say that he beat detainees.
“People, who were arrested, spoke to me in confidence. They did not hide their experiences. They told me that they were mistreated and beaten up, but none of them complained about Jasmin Sehagic,” Jukic said.
The witness said that Sehagic personally drove him to a funeral in a military vehicle.
“To me, he represented a guarantee and safety. Actually, I was only allowed to move within the church courtyard,” Jukic said.
He said that, one day three different individuals came to the Church, adding that each of them introduced himself as Manager Jasmin Sehagic and asked for food and money in return for releasing some people to liberty.
The pastor said that he knew that none of them was Sehagic, but he gave them what they asked for in order for those people to be released.
Witness Hikmet Bajtarevic, who was Commander of the Municipal Headquarters in the first half of 1993, said that he did not remember that the indictee complained to him about not being able to control the situation in the detention unit.
He confirmed that members of various units used to bring detainees, so it was possible that several people had the authority to approve the release of those persons from the detention unit.
Bajtarevic said that the detention unit, where prisoners of war and civilians were held, certainly did not fulfill the conditions prescribed under the Geneva Convention, but “they had what we had”.
Witness Halid Jasarspahic said that he asked the indictee to release a friend of his from detention in order to visit his house. He said that Sehagic approved his release and accompanied them to the house.
“The friend was transferred to a detention unit within the thermal power plant complex a few days later. He did not say that he was tortured,” Jasarspahic said.
The trial is due to continue on February 4.
