Witness Describes Rape and Abuse of Prisoners in Potoci

The defendants, Samir Kreso, Enes Curic, Ibrahim Demirovic, Habib Copelj and Mehmed Kaminic, have been charged with war crimes in Potoci, near Mostar.

Curic was a member of the 49th Mountain Brigade of the Bosnian Army and the manager of a detention facility in a school building and other locations in Potoci. Demirovic was the commander of the 47th Mountain Brigade of the Bosnian Army.

Kreso was the chief of the medical service of a military unit with a brigade located in the Bijelo Polje area. Copelj and Kaminic were members of the Bosnian Army.

According to the state prosecution’s charges, Demirovic raped a prisoner in a school building in Potoci, which was used as a detention facility by the Bosnian Army.

“Demirovic and Copelj visited us at the school. They threatened us, swore at us…I remember Demirovic because he was frightening,” witness Zeljka Zovko said.

In response to questions by Demirovic’s defense attorney, Zovko said soldiers used to take female prisoners who were detained at the school building out of their cells. According to Zovko, Demirovic and Copelj used to take a witness known as “B” out of her cell in order to rape her.

Zovko said her health was poor and she had difficulties walking due to the beatings she endured during her detention.

While being cross-examined, Zovko said Kreso ordered and organized an attack on Bijelo Polje in the municipality of Mostar.

Lejla Covic, Kreso’s defense attorney, asked Zovko if she had fabricated her accusations against Kreso in order to harm him. Zovko denied this allegation. She said she didn’t witness the order to attack, and said she didn’t know what happened outside her house on the night of June 29 or 30, 1993.

Samir Kreso has been charged with participating in the detention of Croat civilians who were subjected to severe physical and mental mistreatment from June-December 1993.

According to Zovko’s testimony, she did not see the capture of Filip Rajic. She was present when people were taken to other locations in order to perform forced labour or when female prisoners were taken away from their cells.

In response to questions by Nihada Buturovic, Copelj’s defense attorney, Zovko repeated that her health was poor during her detention and that she couldn’t move from the beatings she endured.

“Yes, it was a consequence of the beatings. I was immobile for more than a month. The entire right side of my body was immobile,” she said, adding that she saw Copelj for the first time in the school building.

Mehmed Kaminic’s defense attorney asked Zovko if it was true that she did not mention Kaminic in previous statements she had given to the Bosnian state prosecution, but still took part in Kaminic’s identification. Zovko was not able to respond.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 22.