Prosecution Requests Guilty Verdict for Trusina Killings

In its closing statement, Bosnia’s state prosecution requested that a guilty verdict be handed down against former Bosniak fighters Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Senad Hakalovic, Nedzad Hodzic, and Nihad Bojadzic.

They are charged with the murder of 15 civilians and six members of the Croatian Defence Council in the village of Trusina on April 16, 1993. The victims had surrendered when Trusina was attacked.

All of the defendants except one belonged to the Zulfikar Special Purposes Squad, with the Staff of the Supreme Command of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hakalovic belonged to the 45th Mountain Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Prosecutor Emir Neradin said that witness statements describing the participation of the defendants at the Trusina crimes were trustworthy.

According to Neradin, Bojadzic, the former deputy commander of the Zulfikar Squad, commanded the attack on Trusina. Bojadzic commanded the attack from a nearby hill using a walkie-talkie, the prosecution alleges.

Neradin went on to claim that three of the state prosecution witnesses, including Rasema Handanovic, himself a former member of the Zulfikar Squad, heard Bojadzic order that there must be no survivors in Trusina. Neradin said that the order was given to fighters in the Zulfikar Squad, who led their fellow fighters into Trusina.

Neradin said that members of the Zulfikar Squad then killed 15 Croat civilians and shot six members of the Croatian Defence Council, who had previously surrendered.

After the wounding and death of Samir Semsovic, the command in Trusina was taken over by Hodzic, Zulfikar said. Neradin said that prosecution witness Handanovic had heard Hodzic ask Bojadzic via walkie-talkie what to do with the Trusina captives. Bojazdic allegedly responded by saying that they should be killed.

Neradin said that Hodzic then shouted, “The shooting squad!” and “Shoot!”

During the course of the trial Hodzic’s health and ability to follow the proceedings was reviewed. Neradin said that with the exclusion of one expert, none of the court experts determined that Hodzic was incapable of following the trial.

According to Neradin, prior to his arrest Hodzic was communicative and mobile. When followed, he was seen going shopping and getting into a car without assistance. It also appeared that Hodzic was well-oriented in time and space, he said.

With regards to Memic, Neradin said that several witnesses had said that he’d participated in the shooting, including Handanovic. During Handovic’s testimoy, he had said that Memic stood next to him in the shooting squad.

With regards to Hakalovic , the prosecutor said that Hakalovic had ordered Trusina resident and since deceased acquaintance Ivan Drljo to pick up two HVO members after having witnessed the killings committed by the Zulfikar fighters. According to Neradin, the defendant knew that they would be killed. Ivan’s mother, Milka Drljo, had spoken of Hakalovic’s order, he said.

Neradin said that Salcin was in Trusina during the attack, and had guarded civilians who said that they were robbed or intimidated by death threats. He said that the civilians remembered two fighters, one of whom was known as Struja, which was Salcin’s nickname.

The defense teams will present their closing statements on March 2.

Note: After admitting his guilt, Handanovic was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for his participation in the Trusina killings.