Bosnian Serb Prisoners Recall Beatings at Silos Camp

The Bosnian prosecution on Thursday read out witness statements to the Sarajevo court from two former detainees at the Silos jail camp, both of whom have since died, saying that they were beaten while they were imprisoned there in 1992.

Witness Bozidar Mrkajic said he was detained at Silos on June 16, 1992, held in terrible conditions and once beaten with a metal rod.

“The food was bad and there was not enough water. The hygiene was lousy… During the whole time in Silos, I took a shower only once,” Mrkajic said in a statement that he made in March 2011.

He said that he was held at the camp until November 1992, when he was freed as part of a prisoner exchange, and that he lost over 50 kilogrammes while he was in detention.

Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember are on trial for crimes against Serb and Croat prisoners at the Silos camp, the Krupa barracks and the 9th of May school in Hadzici.

According to the indictment, Hujic was the warden of the Silos camp, as was Halid Covic at a later date. Mesanovic was one of the deputy wardens at the detention centre and also camp warden in the Krupa military barracks, Kalember was a guard, while the others worked for the civilian, military or police authorities.

The second witness statement on Thursday came from former prisoner Sima Lalusic, who said that at the beginning of June 1992, he was taken to Silos, where conditions in the cells were extremely bad and he was repeatedly beaten.

“There was not much food – only a small slice of bread and a little water,” Lalusic recalled.

He said that he had digestive problems because of the lack of food, and Halid Covic let him go home and take medicine.

He was held at Silos until the beginning of 1993, when he was taken to the Krupa barracks, where he was detained until February 1993 when he was freed as part of a prisoner exchange.

The trial continues on August 28.