Witnesses Describe Attacks and Assault

Goran Mrdja, Milorad Mrdja, Ranko Mrdja, and Mile Kokot, all former members of the Sixth Sanska Infantry Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, have been charged with war crimes against Bosniak victims, including acts of murder, rape, assault, theft and other forms of mental and physical abuse, in the area of Sanski Most, from the summer of 1992 to the autumn of 1994.

Prosecution witness Mesud Pasic said he was in his house in the village of Pasici, in the municipality of Sanski Most, with his family and others in April 1993. On the night of the alleged crime, two drunken men came to his house and asked his family “who the boss was,” and kicked him in the stomach.

“One of them said, ‘we’ll throw a bomb,’ and the other said ‘don’t,’” Pasic said.

He said one of the men pointed a gun at him, and he was ordered to bring them to Hasan Pasic’s house. There, Pasic was told to pay 200 or 300 Deutsche Marks and no one would be hurt.

Pasic said after he gave them 70 Deutsche Marks and some gold, the men left. He said a few days later he left the village of Gorica with his family.

“People say it was Goran Mrdja and his cousin Milorad,” Pasic said with regards to the two assailants.

Pasic said he believed he saw the same two men in the village of Gorica. He said they beat them, and while he was being beaten one of them looked for a knife to kill him with.

“They had hats on their heads and wore camouflage clothing. They were dark-skinned, tanned, and not very tall. I think they’re the same people as the other two in Pascici,” Pasic said.

“Everyone said it was them, even Goran Mrdja and Milorad’s colleagues,” he said.

At the end of his testimony, Pasic said he was emotionally affected by the suffering of a five year old child.

“That wouldn’t have happened if we’d stayed in Pasici,” Pasic said through tears.

“It wouldn’t have happened if weren’t chased away from their village,” Pasic said.

Zahid Pasic was the second prosecution witness to testify. He said that during the first half of April 1993, he was drinking coffee with his neighbour Mesud, when he was approached by men who said they were looking for his father. They demanded money and gold.

He said that it was dark at the time, but he could make out the silhouette of a young man with a gun. He said Mesud was hit in the stomach and taken outside.

“It wasn’t clear to me how many of them there were, nor who they were,” Pasic said. He said one of them ordered him to light a cigar. He said that person was a young man who he described as not very tall, dark haired and wearing a T-shirt and jeans.

Pasic said there were rumours that a group of thieves from Donji Lipnik associated with Goran Mrdja and his relatives were in the area.

The prosecution presented Pasic with a photo album, in which he recognized Goran Mrdja. Pasic said it looked like his assailant, but he wasn’t completely sure.

Goran Mrdja’s defense team asked Pasic whether the counts against Mrdja were read to him when he first gave testimony in 2004. Pasic said this was the case.

Hidajeta Pasic also testified at this hearing. She said she was in Mesud Pasic’s house when unknown men broke in. She said they started to yell and demand money, but she didn’t see anything.

The trial will continue on May 12.