Defense Witnesses Say Maric is Innocent of Murder of Bosniak Captive

Nikola Maric, a former member of the Croatian Defense Council, has been charged under 25 counts of persecution by participating in acts of murder, torture and other inhumane acts from November 1992 to October 1993. According to the charges, Maric killed Munib Grcic in August 1993. He has also been charged with the disappearance of six people from a secondary school center in Prozor.

Stipo Petrovic, a former member of the Croatian Home Guard Unit of the Croatian Defense Council in Prozor, testified at today’s hearing. He said he joined his unit after the breakout of conflict with Bosnian forces. He said he kept watch on the secondary school center in Prozor. He said it was a reception area, although some called it a prison.

“I knew Munib Grcic well. He was killed on August 2, 1993. Three members of the Croatian Defense Council brought in three Bosniaks. Munib was among them,” Petrovic said.

According to Petrovic, Grcic and the two other captured Bosniaks began climbing the stairs to the school building. Petrovic said a soldier shouted at them to run faster, before shooting Munib Grcic in his back. Petrovic said he didn’t know any of the soldiers.

“The three men left immediately, while the Bosniaks carried Munib in a blanket in front of the school. Then three other soldiers came, loaded him into the trunk of a car and drove him away,” Petrovic said. He said another guard, Mato Zadro, witnessed the entire incident as well.

Petrovic said he knew Nikola Maric, but said he didn’t come to the secondary school during his shifts.

“I am one hundred percent sure Nikola Maric didn’t kill him,” Petrovic said.

Nenad Meter, a former military police officer, also testified at today’s hearing. Meter said he and Maric served in the same unit. He said all military police officers were dressed in the same camouflage uniforms with white belts and were assigned short barrel weapons like pistols.

“I never saw him in a black uniform…I never heard that he persecuted or murdered anyone. He didn’t kill anyone. I am one hundred percent sure,” Meter said.

Meter recognized Maric in a wartime photo that was shown to him by the defense. He said Maric had his usual short haircut in the photo, and was slightly balding with dark hair.

Meter said all military police officers were tasked with maintaining public order and peace. He said they received their orders from the brigade. Meter said they were once ordered to arrest all able-bodied Bosniaks in the Prozor area and take them to concentration camps.

“They were concentration camps for the purposes of their own safety,” Meter said. He was unable to respond to the trial chamber’s question as to why Croats weren’t evacuated to concentration camps for their own safety as well.

Meter said he hadn’t heard about the Prozor murders, but had heard about the persecution of Bosniaks in the area. He said he didn’t know who was perpetrating their persecution. He said he believed Maric hadn’t done anything wrong.

Meter also said he had never heard of the Kinder Squad from Prozor.

Maric’s brother in law, Zdravko Sicaja, also attended today’s hearing. He said he frequently went to Lug in the municipality of Prozor, where the defendant lived with his sister.

“I remember Nikola brought home two men and one boy one evening. He told me to keep an eye on them for half an hour. I was confused and didn’t ask any questions,” Sicaja said. He said after Maric’s departure, Jozo Mestrovic came to the house, shook hands with the two men and Sicaja and told the boy to go home.

Sicaja said Mestrovic spoke with someone over a walkie-talkie and told Maric to take the two men to Prozor. Sicaja said the men weren’t mistreated.

“We were in the town on the following day. I drove Nikola’s car. Nikola just said, ‘I capture them, they release them.’…Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the men who had been in the house the night before,” Sicaja said.

He said he could not remember what type of car Maric drove.

Responding to a question from the prosecution, he said the house Maric inhabited in Lug didn’t belong to him, but to a Bosniak owner.

The trial will continue on September 25.