Witness Describes Detention of Bosniak Civilians at Maric Trial

Nikola Maric, a former member of the Croatian Defense Council, has been charged with participating in acts of murder, persecution, torture and other inhumane acts in the Prozor area from November 1992-October 1993.

In July 1993, Maric allegedly forced Bosniak men in the village of Lug to surrender to Croat forces by threatening to kill their wives and children. The men were held in detention at the secondary school in Prozor. Maric allegedly expelled the remaining civilians from the village the same month.

Mustafa Cica described the events that took place in the village of Lug in July 1993.

“I saw Nikola Maric standing next to a truck and people getting on the truck. I saw my brother Ibrahim getting on the truck,” Cica said.

According to Cica, Maric arrested his other brother Sefik and two other neighbours in the afternoon of the same day. He found out later on that his brother Sefik had been shot, while Ibrahim was killed with another man while digging trenches.

Prosecutor Miroslav Janjic said Cica hadn’t mentioned that Maric had taken his brothers away in a statement he had given in 2003. Cica said he hadn’t mentioned his brothers because Maric and his attorney were sitting across from him when he gave his statement in 2003 in Mostar.

“It is true that he took them away. We were sitting together during my examination in Mostar…I still live 50 meters away from them. I did not say that he [Maric] had killed them, but had taken them away,” Cica explained.

Maric asked Cica why he wasn’t afraid of him when “they had had drinks together on several occasions after he’d given his statements.”

“He even told the cafe owner, Ivan, that I did not accuse him too much,” Cica said.

Also testifying at this hearing, Mujo Sljivo said he and other neighbours went to the Lug bus station on July 17, 1993. Sljivo said he saw Nikola Maric writing a list of the names of men who were getting on a truck at the bus station.

“He ordered us to get on Luka Soldo’s truck. He was accompanied by two other soldiers, whom I don’t know,” Sljivo said. He said male residents of a nearby village were already on the truck. He said they were transported to the secondary school center in Prozor.

According to Slijvo, many Bosniak men from the Prozor area had already been detained in the center. Sljivo said that he was taken to other locations to perform forced labour until January 1994. He said he didn’t see Maric again.

The third witness to testify at this hearing, a protected witness known as S-11 said that he was detained in the secondary school center after Nikola Maric had ordered the men of the village to gather at one location.

According to S-11, Maric escorted the truck the entire time. He said after he got off the truck he did not see Maric again.

The trial will continue on April 16.