Witnesses Describe Attack on Zecovi by Bosnian Serb Forces

Defendants Dusan Milunic, Radomir Stojnic, Radovan Cetic, Dusko Zoric, Zoran Stojnic, Zeljko Grbic, Ilija Zoric, Zoran Milunic, Bosko Grujicic, Ljubisa Cetic, Rade Grujcic, Uros Grujcic, Zdravko Antonic and Rajko Gnjatovic have been charged with committing acts of murder, torture, sexual violence, as well as destructing and confiscating property from the local residents of Zecovi, a village near Prijedor.

Milunic was the commander of the Rasavacka Company of the Sixth Battalion of the 43rd Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army. Stojnic was the commander of the reserve police station in Rasavci. Radovan Cetic was the president of the Serbian Democratic Party and crisis committee in the village of Rasavci. The other defendants were members of the Bosnian Serb military, police and other formations.

According to the charges, they participated in a joint criminal enterprise with the civil and military authorities of the municipality of Prijedor, which involved a widespread and systematic attack on Zecovi, conducted by the Bosnian Serb Army and Bosnian Serb police forces from July 23-28, 1992.

State prosecution witness Mehizada Koric testified at today’s hearing. She said the Bosnian Serb Army took her husband and other men from Zecovi away for questioning. She said she was told her husband and the others would be returned if they hadn’t done anything wrong. None of the men returned, she added.

“The men were taken down the road and the military men stayed behind and searched our homes. I recognized Brano Grbic and Brano Coric,” Koric said.

Koric said after the men were taken away, the women and children of Zecovi slept together in one house while the military patrolled the village.

“One day Rade Grujicic and two other men came to get lambs. Rade told an old woman that our men were in the Trnopolje detention camp,” she said.

Koric said she eventually was taken to the Trnopolje detention camp, but didn’t find her husband there. His remains were found in the Tomasica mass grave last year.

She said before she was taken to the detention camp she saw that the nearby village of Bacici had been set on fire and heard gunfire. The next day she found out that all of the residents of Bacici had been killed, including her sister Asima.

State prosecution witness Dragan Mrdja also testified at today’s hearing. He said he indirectly took part in the attack on Zecovi after running into commander Milunic. Mrdja said no one from Milunic’s unit took part in the searching of homes, arrests, or other acts. He said he didn’t know what the goal of the operation was.

“We felt there was a dark situation [there]. Everyone was silent. I didn’t see any Bosniak men on that dreadful day, which everyone keeps talking about today,” Mrdja said.

After the attack, Mrdja said he went home and then visited his sisters near Prijedor.

He said he then went to the village of Bacici with his father, where he saw dead bodies in front of Hasan Bacic’s home. He said he became afraid and ran away.

“My father cried and called the police,” Mrdja said.

Mrdja said he hadn’t heard anything bad about any of the defendants.

The trial continues on September 4.