Beaten up in Private Prison

Branko Toholj said that, after a block in 10 Pere Kosorica Street, in which he lived, was burnt, the building residents were accommodated in “Ivan Goran Kovacic” school building on October 5, 1992.

Toholj said that two armed uniformed men came to the school building and that they called him and a few other persons out by their first and last names. They took to a room at Pere Kosorica Square, where, as alleged by the witness, a private prison was located.  

“There were blood stains on the walls. When I came in, they began beating me from my back and then stepping on me. They broke my ribs. I lost teeth as well…Three people were beating me,” said Toholj, who was apprehended to the hearing by court police from Trebinje, because he had failed to respond to earlier court summons.  

He said that, when he fell down after having been hit on his back, he raised his hand and saw Mario Frimel.  

“I knew Mario Frimel by sight. We were not friends. He was dressed in camouflage uniform, he was armed with an automatic gun,” the witness said.
 
When asked by the Defence whether it was possible that other people beat him and that Frimel just stood there, the witness said: “He hit me with his legs many times.”

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

Witness Toholj said that he saw that Mladen Blagovcanin, who was covered with blood, was beaten up on that same day.  

“Mladen had already been beaten up, when I arrived. He was smashed when I came. He know who had beaten him,” the witness said, confirming that Blagovcanin was taken to the Central Prison.
 
He said that he was saved by Dzevad Lakaca and Junuz Rajic.
 
The continuation of the trial is scheduled for December 24