Witness Describes Detainee Beatings at Bileca Police Station

Miroslav Dukic, Goran Vujovic, and Zeljko Ilic are on trial for crimes they allegedly committed in Bileca. According to the indictment, at the time Vujovic was the chief of the public safety station in Bileca, Duka was the police commander, and Ilic was a policeman.

Vujovic and Duka have been charged with enabling and organizing the detention of Bosniak and Croat civilians in the public safety station and student dormitory in Bileca, where they were murdered, tortured, and abused. Ilic is charged with having participated in the physical abuse, mental abuse, torture, and murder of detainees.

Asim Djapo said eight armed men came to his house in Bileca on June 10, 1992. They told him to take his hunting firearms to the police station.

Djapo said he saw other prisoners at the police station, and that he was transferred to the military barracks in Bileca. While being transported by truck to the barracks, Djapo said he was hit on the leg with the butt of a rifle by a man named Goca.

Djapo said he was later returned to the police station, where he was beaten for having spoken to representatives of the International Red Cross (IRC). He said he was beaten because he spoke in German to IRC representatives about the conditions in the prison.

“First, they interrogated me. It took ten minutes, and then Nosovic and Kuljic beat me,” Djapo said.

Djapo said he was beaten once more at the police station.

“They just called on me and said that they wanted to interrogate me…The room was darkened by blankets [blankets were hung over the windows]. I knew something was going to happen. I saw Miroslav Duka there. He had a gun on the table, and a baton, and he wrapped his head with a cloth…I heard that he was the deputy commander or commander,” Djapo said.

Djapo said that in addition to Duka, Zeljko, and Ilic, individuals by the last names of Nosovic, Kuljic, and Stolica were also in the room.

“Nosovic hit me on the head with the butt of a gun. I fell on my knees, off the chair…I was in a coma. They started to beat me from all sides. I saw that Kuljic hit me, and maybe Ilic, but I’m not sure,” Djapo said.

After he fell to the floor, Djapo said he was punched and kicked. He said only Rade Stolica refrained from beating him.

“For sure, Stolica is the only man who didn’t punch me, because Duka said to him, ‘Why didn’t you punch him?’ and then Duka punched him a little bit,” Djapo said.

Djapo said the day after the beating he was taken to a medical center, where he spent five to six days. He left Bileca in October 1992, with the assistance of the IRC.

The trial will continue on March 17.