Hit by Rifle Butts

At the trial of Mario Frimel, who is charged with crimes against Serb civilians in Sarajevo, a Cantonal Prosecution’s witness says that he was beaten up in the premises of the former shopping centre in Hrasno and that the indictee sat on his chest and hit him with a walkie-talkie.

Mladen Blagovcanin said that he was taken from the basement of a skyscraper, which had been set on fire, to the former shopping centre in October 1992, adding that, upon his arrival, some unknown soldiers ordered him to put his hands against the wall and spread his legs. After that they began hitting him with rifle butts.

“They cursed my Chetnik mother, as usual. They hit me with rifle butts. A hit in the area behind my ear made me fall down. When I woke up, I noticed that they had poured water over me. Then they beat me up again,” Blagovcanin said.

He told the Court that he fainted at least twice due to the beating.

“After they had poured water over me for the second or third time, Mr. Mario Frimel sat on my chest and hit me with a walkie-talkie. I lost consciousness again,” Blagovcanin said.

The Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecution charges Mario Frimel, former Commander of “Ivan Krndelj” Squad of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, with having unlawfully arrested and physically and mentally abused Serbs on the territory of Hrasno neighbourhood, Sarajevo.

According to the charges, at the beginning of October 1992 members of “Ivan Krndelj” Squad brought Serbs to the shopping centre premises and abused them.

The witness pointed out that he had not known Frimel before and that he recognized him in “Kaptol” café in 1997 or 1998.

The trial is due to continue on March 14.