Beaten up in “Strolit”

Miroslav Borojevic told the Court that he left Donje Dubice and went to Novi Grad village due to shelling. As he said, after having handed their weapons over, the local population from that area was taken to the school building in Odzak and detained in it.

“We were met by military policemen, who stood there in two rows and hit us. Some had lilacs, while others had a chessboard flag [marks on ABiH and HVO soldiers’ uniforms],” Borojevic said, adding that he was taken to “Strolit” factory in Odzak the following day and that he spent about 50 days in it.

He said that men named Ivo Calusevic, Mato Pacak and Aljo were guards in that place, while guards Jurica Bozic, Anto Golubovic and Josip Tolic used to come as well. The witness said that he found out Josip Tolic’s name upon his return to the Odzak school building.

“Josip Tolic beat my cousin Milivoje Borojevic up in ‘Strolit’. Although it was dark in the corridor, I saw him hitting him on his ears. (…) Guards took him out to the corridor,” the witness said.

Commenting the beating of his cousin in the “Strolit” corridor, Tolic’s Defence attorney Rifat Konjic said that, in his statement given in 2007 the witness said that “Golubovic, Tolic and Bozic beat detainees, while standing in two rows”. In this statement the witness did not describe the event in the same way as today. The Defence said that the events that happened in “Strolit” and school building were mixed up.

Borojevic said that Tolic beat his brother too, adding that his brother told him about it.

The Defence said that, in his statement given in 2013 the witness did not mention that Tolic beat his brother up.

“While looking at him now, I am remembering that… Everyone will tell you what he did,” Borojevic said.

He said that he was taken out and beaten up during his first night in Odzak. According to the witness’ testimony, a group of detainees, who were beaten by a man named Hamo and Tolic, were taken out during that night.

The Defence said that, in an earlier statement the witness said that they were taken out by Anto Golubovic and Hamo, adding that indictee Tolic’s name was not mentioned.

“The Prosecutor made a mistake,” the witness said.

Borojevic said that he was transferred from Odzak to Novi Grad village and then to Bosanski rod. He said that he fled, while digging trenches in Bosanski Brod.

Josip Tolic, former member of the 102nd Odzak Brigade of HVO, is charged with having participated in the abuse of Serb detainees in the Odzak and Bosanski Brod area from May to October 1992.

As per a proposal by the Defence and then also the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Chamber decided that the testimony by second State Prosecution witness Nusreta Mujkic would be closed to public.

According to the schedule of hearings, this trial is due to continue on February 27.