Beaten to Exhaustion

Witness Velinka Martinovic said that her brother was beaten up in the Police Station in Kladanj in May 1992.

“He said that he was hit by Osman Gogic. He hit him with his fists, he hit him with his legs…until he got exhausted,” Martinovic said.

As she said, after having been examined and beaten, her brother stayed at their sister’s in Kladanj. He was then taken to the educational workers’ building.

“She said that he was not able to get up for two months,” witness Martinovic said, adding that she saw her brother in August 1992, but she did not notice any visible injuries on him.

She explained that she used to work with Gogic’s wife, but she had never seen the indictee. She said that her brother used to play football with Gogic. “That is why it sounded strange to me that Osman beat him, considering the fact that they knew each other,” Martinovic said.

Gogic, former member of military police with the Territorial Defence in Kladanj, is charged with having beaten Celic with a baton, boots and hands in June 1992. Gogic is on trial, along with Safet Mujcinovic, Nusret Muhic, Kahro Vejzovic, Ramiz Halilovic, Selman Busnov, Zijad Hamzic, Nedzad Hodzic and Hariz Habibovic, for crimes in the Kladanj area.

Second State Prosecution witness Dosta Marjanovic said that her father Ladimir Dragic did not survive detention in the educational workers’ building in Stupari.

“People said that he was beaten and tortured in various ways… All I know is that my father was innocent,” she said, adding that she heard about his murder from other people, who were held in detention with him.

As she said, she heard that Kahro Vjezovic participated in the beating of her father. His Defence attorney Rifet Konjic said that she did not mention that in her statements given in 2005 and 2011.

“I inquired about it after the indictment had been filed,” the witness said, but she was not able to specify who told her that Vejzovic participated in the beating of her father.

The trial is due to continue on January 31.