Witnesses Describe Capture and Abuse at Hasan Cehic Trial

Hasib Cehic, a former member of the National Defense of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region, has been charged with the physical abuse of two captured members of the Bosnian Army in Pecigrad in the municipality of Cazin on July 16, 1994.

Cehic, nicknamed Siban, has also been charged with the inhumane treatment of five captured members of the military police of the Fifth Corps of the Bosnian Army. He allegedly physically abused the captives in the village of Zagrad in the municipality of Velika Kladusa on June 21, 1995.

State prosecution witness Bekir Agic, a captive and a former member of the Fifth Corps of the Bosnian Army, testified at today’s hearing. Agic said members of the National Defense of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region captured him and other fighters.

“They ordered us to take our clothes off. We could only keep our underwear on. They began beating us…They drove us to Velika Kladusa and took us to the first floor of an unfinished building. When we got there, a group of their police officers, including Cehic, were already there eating breakfast. He got up and started punching us in the head. When some of us fell from the blows, he would continue kicking us,” Agic said.

He said he and the other fighters were then taken to a room next door, where they were detained for approximately 20 days.

“Anyone could enter the room at night and beat us whenever they wanted. I used to see Cehic in the yard when they took us out to wash ourselves. His arm was bandaged. I assume he injured it while beating us,” Agic said. He said he still had health problems caused by the abuse he endured while in detention.

State prosecution witness Mesud Dedic testified at today’s hearing, and was also captured in the Vrnogrc area.

“When we handed over our weapons, they took our clothes off and started beating us. They even prepared us to be shot, but somebody stopped that. When they brought us to that house in Kladusa, one of the soldiers, who was eating when we arrived, got up and began beating us. The blows were so strong that we fell down,” Dedic said.

Dedic said he found out that the name of the soldier who beat them was Hasib Cehic.

“Each time the room we slept in was unlocked, we knew we would be beaten. They would take us out for interrogations and beat us again,” Dedic said.

Muhamed Kendic and Husein Lepuzanovic, who both fought alongside the defendant, appeared as witnesses at this hearing.

Kendic said he had no information regarding Cehic’s alleged abuse, because he was “just the commander’s driver.”

Lepuzanovic was the duty military police officer when the captives were brought to Kladusa.

“When they brought the captives in, Hasan stood up and started beating them. Neither I nor any of my colleagues said anything to him, because his brother Mujo was our superior officer,” Lepuzanovic said.

The trial will continue on October 20.