Kiseljak Crimes Trial Opens

The prosecutor Sanja Hodzic said in her opening remarks that she will prove Maric torured and abused civilians and prisoners of war during the conflict between the Bosnian and Croat armies, and forcibly removed and robbed Bosniak civilians.

Maric, a former police commander in Kiseljak and the deputy commander of the Security and Information Unit of the Bosnian Croat army are charged with crimes against civilians and prisoners of war in Kiseljak.

The first Prosecution witness Jusuf Muratovic said he was injured and arrested near the house of Hasija Huseinovic in Kiseljak and taken to the Elektroprivreda building where he was abused by the defendant.

“He told me: ‘Open your mouth so I can kill you’. He put his rifle in my mouth. When he took the rifle out he broke two teeth”, said Muratovic and added that a doctor called Petar Lace helped him with his injuries.

During the witness testimony, the judge Suada Kahric told the defendant Maric not to laugh and make faces.

Maric’s lawyer Zdenko Tomic said during cross examination that Muratovic gave a different statement about his arrest during the investigation phase. He added that the witness must have mixed up identities and that Maric was not one of the policemen who arrested Muratovic.

The witness also testified that he was contacted by the defendant last year.

“He told me we don’t know each other. I said we knew each other well and I left immediately,” said Muratovic.

Hasija Huseinovic also testified at this hearing and confirmed that Jusuf Muratovic was arrested in front of her home. She added she knew Maric because they were both born in Kresevo.

Maric’s lawyer said Huseinovic also gave a different statement during the investigation.

The trial continues on February 2.