The Only Wish Unfulfilled

Mujesira Opresic told the Court that Milan Lukic took her husband away on May 25, 1992, adding that she knew nothing about her husband’s faith.
 
“Two cars came to pick him up. Gorazdak was outside,” the witness said, describing how her husband was taken away.
 
As she said, Gorazdak was taller than her, was dressed in camouflage uniform and had an automatic rifle. She said that, when Lukic took her husband out, Gorazdak stayed behind in order to ask her daughter something.
 
Oprasic explained that she remembered May 25, 1992, because her husband was taken away. She asked the Trial Chamber if she could ask the indictee something, but the Chamber did not allow her to do it.
 
“This is the only wish I have in life. Why don’t you let me do it? I have no more patience. Why don’t you allow me to ask him. I know that he knows,” Oprasic said, crying. 
 
Zoran Bozic, member of the Trial Chamber, told the witness that this was a strictly formal process and that there were rules.
 
“We must not deviate from those rules,” judge Bozic said.  
 
The witness said that, a few days after her husband had been taken away, her neighbour Hamed Kustura was taken away too. She mentioned that she saw Lukic and Gorazdak on that occasion.
 
Sekaric, former member of the Territorial Defence and “Osvetnik” (“Avenger”) paramilitary formation, is charged with having participated in an attack on Lozje village, also known as Kokino Selo, Gorazde municipality, as well as the murders, rape and physical abuse of non-Serb civilians in Visegrad. He is charged with having committed crimes from April 1992 and during 1993.
 
The Defence will cross-examine witness Opresic at the next hearing, because Borislav Jamina, Defence attorney of the indictee, said that he had not had time to consult with his client.
 
At this hearing the Prosecution read a statement by Saban Muratagic, considering the fact that this witness has since died.
 
Muratagic gave a statement to State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, investigators on March 15, 2007. At the time he said that he was detained in one of the hangars in Uzamnica military barracks in June 1992, adding that Lukic and a person, whose name, as he found out, was Drago Sekaric, were among the persons, who used to come to that facility. The witness said that they beat prisoners with their legs, hands and sticks.
 
The Defence of the indictee said that, had the witness been alive, it would have asked him to describe Drago Sekaric and say who had told him his name. The indictee said that he would have asked him if he was the Drago Sekaric.
 
In 2012 the Hague Tribunal sentenced Milan Lukic to life imprisonment for crimes committed in Visegrad, including the beating of Bosniak men in Uzamnica detention camp. Lukic was charged as a leader of the “Osvetnici” or “Beli Orlovi” (“White Eagles”) paramilitary unit.
 
The trial is due to continue on November 26.