Serb Authorities Tried to Empty Jusici of Bosniaks, Witness Says
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The witness, known as M19, testified at the trial of Dragomir Vasic, Miodrag Josipovic, Branimir Tesic, Danilo Zoljic and Radomir Pantic, who’ve been charged with participating in the Srebrenica genocide in 1995.
Vasic, Zoljic and Pantic have been charged with assisting in the forced expulsion of the civilian population from Srebrenica, of separating men from their families, and capturing and executing Bosniak men and boys in Bratunac, Zvornik and Srebrenica in July 1995.
Josipovic and Tesic have been charged with participating in the forced expulsion of civilians from Potocari, of separating men from their families, and transporting and detaining over 1000 men and boys in Bratunac. The men and boys were eventually executed.
M19 accused Dragan Vasic and his men of pressuring him to leave his hometown of Jusici after the war.
M19 said he was expelled from his home in Jusici, near Zvornik, in 1992. He returned five years later. He said he knew Dragan Vasic, because he was the commander of the police station in Zvornik.
According to M19, after the war Vasic approached Bosniak residents of Jusici, accompanied with policemen, and tried to pressure them into leaving their homes.
M19 said Vasic told returnees that they were illegally returning to Republika Srpska and that each of his police officers had a gun. He allegedly told the returnees that Jusici was “Serb land.”
M19 said six returnees were forced to leave the village, under the pretense that they hadn’t proven that they were locals. The returnees stayed in tents for one week, while police forces guarded the village.
“One morning I heard an explosion. Five houses were blown up,” M19 said.
M19 also said he saw a police officer beating returnee Sadik Muratovic.
In response to questions by the defense, M19 confirmed that he gave Vasic 310 Euros to obtain personal ID cards for 62 returnees. He also confirmed that he continued to reside in Jusici after the incident.
The trial continues on May 14.
