Witness Describes Being Taken Captive by Maric

A state prosecution witness testifying at the trial of Nikola Maric said he was taken captive upon Maric’s orders in Prozor in 1993.

Nikola Maric, a former member of the Croatian Defense Council, has been charged with 25 counts of persecution, involving instances of murder, torture and other inhumane acts from November 1992 to October 1993.

At today’s hearing, state prosecution witness Suljo Kmetas said members of the Croatian Defence Council entered the village of Druzinovici in the municipality of Prozor on September 13, 1993. He said he recognized soldiers Nikola Maric, Goran Papkovic and Mato Zelic.

“Nikola Maric reloaded his rifle and pointed it at my head. He said, ‘Tell everyone you’re going to Alija or we’ll kill you,” Kmetas said.

Kmetas said approximately one hundred village inhabitants were gathered near the cemetery, where two trucks were waiting.

He said Goran Papkovic ordered people to climb onto the trucks. Maric ordered him and his brothers to be let off near a fire station in Prozor.

Kmetas said he was beaten by unknown soldiers at the fire station that night. After being held at the fire station, he was transferred to other locations in Prozor, and then to the Heliodrom detention camp.

“I saw Maric when he came to a high school and a police warehouse to pick up detainees for work,” Kmetas said.

Tarik Zaimovic also testified at today’s hearing. He said he was the owner of the only bakery in Prozor, and made bread for the Croatian Defense Council and the Croatian Army during the war.

Zaimovic said he saw Maric on one occasion, when he asked him to transport a motorbike from the village of Skrobucani for him.

Vedo Tuco, a state prosecution expert, presented his findings on the remains of a number of civilians who were found in the Tolovac and Prajma sites, as well as the village of Paros.

He said Saban Munikoza, Selim Selimovic, Mujo Selimovic, and Zulfo Becirevic and Djuzel Becirevic died of missile wounds to the head. He said he was unable to determine Omer Selimovic’s cause of death.

The next hearing has been scheduled for July 9. The last prosecution witness will be examined.