Refusal to Join Army of BiH

Testifying at the trial for crimes in the Kladanj area, a former member of the wartime Presidency of that municipality says that he found out, unofficially, that Serbs were accommodated in educational workers’ buildings in Stupari for the sake of their safety.

Muhamed Krekic, former President of the Executive Board of Kladanj Municipal Assembly, said that he did not get the information through official channels, but he heard rumours about it.

According to the charges, policemen and members of the Territorial Defence from Stupari began unlawfully arrest Serb civilians in late May 1992. After that the civilians were detained in a school building and then transferred to the educational workers’ buildings.

Krekic said that, in January 1993 he received a document signed by indictee Selman Busnov, adding that the document indicated that there were exhausted Serbs in Stupari and that they needed food, but also that there were some who should be criminally processed.

The witness said that the Executive Board concluded that it was its first information about the status of those Serbs, that they should have equal rights as all other citizens and that criminal proceedings should be initiated against those at whose places weapons were found.

According to Krekic, in May 1993 an exchange commission for formed and the witness knew that exchanges had taken place even prior to the establishment of the commission.

Busnov is charged, along with Safet Mujcinovic, Zijad Hamzic, Nusret Muhic, Nedzad Hodzic, Osman Gogic, Ramiz Halilovic and Kahro Vejzovic, former members of the Territorial Defence, TO, military and civil police with having committed unlawful detention of Serbs, as well as the beating and inhumane treatment.  

Second State Prosecution witness Danis Gacic said that adequate accommodation was provided for Serbs in Stupari and that, in his opinion, police also provided them with adequate security.
 
He said that it was not known to him who issued the order to Serbs to stay in the educational workers’ buildings.

The witness, who worked with the Secretariat for National Defence in Kladanj municipality, submitted an invitation to the Serbs, who stayed in the educational workers’ buildings, to join the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, but they refused to do it.  

“They said that they did not want to join the ABiH forces,” the witness said, adding that this happened either in late 1992 or at the beginning of 1993.

He said that, considering the fact that they were obliged, under the laws, to join the ABiH, criminal proceedings were initiated against them. As he said, they were sentenced afterwards.

The trial is due to continue on October 3.