Witnesses Say Hamzic Wasn’t In Lupoglavo During Alleged Assault

Zijad Hamzic, Selman Busnov, Safet Mujcinovic, Nusret Muhic, Nedzad Hodzic, Ramiz Halilovic, Osman Gogic and Kahro Vejzovic, former members of civil and military police and the Territorial Defense, have been charged with war crimes in the Kladanj area. They have been charged with unlawfully detaining Serb civilians in Stupari, as well as assaulting them and submitting them to inhumane treatment.

According to the indictment, Hamzic was in Lupoglav on June 7, 1992 and interrogated a local resident about illegal arms possession, while beating and slapping him. He also insulted and threatened other local residents.

Nijaz Hamzic and Mehmed Hamzic, former members of the Territorial Defense, testified at today’s hearing. Both witnesses testified in defense of Zijad Hamzic. They said they served with 12 members of the Territorial Defense in Tarevo, and participated in an operation to disarm the local Serb population in Lupoglavo on June 7, 1992.

They told the court that Hamzic was the commander of the Territorial Defense unit in Tarevo until the end of May 1992. He was then replaced by Refik Avdic, who they said they didn’t see again until mid-June 1992.

Mehmed Hamzic said Avdic ordered him to bring him two Serbs from Lupoglavo to Tarevo, and that he did so. He said when he arrived to Tarevo, a military police officer told him, “Your task is finished. They’re ours now.”

Hamzic has also been charged with beating the two Serbs after they had been brought to Tarevo.

Testifying in defense of Hamzic, Milan Milosevic said his father told him that the Serb population from Lupoglav was taken to educational workers’ buildings in Stupari. He said Mujcinovic and other military police officers had detained them there. He said he spoke to the people detained in those buildings. He said none of them mentioned Hamzic’s name.

Nermin Bandic, a former inspector from Tuzla, was the fourth witness to testify at today’s hearing. He said he performed interrogations regarding events in Kladanj. He said he spoke to Mujcinovic and made an official note of his interrogations, which Hamzic’s defense included in the case file.

Defense attorney Sabina Mehic said she discuss that evidence in detail in her closing statement.

The trial will continue on October 30.