Witnesses Describe Attack on Civilians Fleeing Teocak by Bosnian Serb Forces

Defendants Goran Maksimovic, Ljiljan Mitrovic, Slavko Peric, Mile Vujevic, Vukasin Draskovic, Gojko Stevanovic, Cvjetko Popadic, Rajo Lazarevic and Mico Manojlovic have been charged with participating in an attack on a group of civilians fleeing Teocak on July 14, 1992. They allegedly captured 76 civilians, 67 of whom were killed in the village of Lokanj in the municipality of Zvornik.

Maksimovic was the commander of the Interventions Unit of the public safety station in Ugljevik, Mitrovic was his deputy, while Slavko Peric was the commander of the Lokanjska Company of the Zvornicka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army. The other defendants were members of the Lokanjska Company.

State prosecution witness Remzudin Dzuzdanovic testified at today’s hearing. Dzuzdanovic said approximately 100 Bosniak civilians from Teocak fled the area and walked towards the village of Vitinica, which was under the control of the Bosnian Army. He said armed soldiers accompanied them on part of their journey, and eventually returned to Teocak. The convoy was attacked shortly afterwards.

“Some time later, an hour or so, they noticed us and started shooting. The shooting lasted between three to five minutes. The convoy broke there,” Dzuzdanovic said. He said the convoy was formed again, but was attacked when it left a wooded area and ventured onto farmland.

Dzuzdanovic said he lied down in the middle of a field when the attack began.

He said he managed to return to the forest with another man. He said he saw approximately 60 civilians standing near a basin. When he approached them Dzuzdanovic said someone told him, “Don’t shoot! There are women and children.” Dzuzdanovic said he left the area with another man and managed to reach Vitinica.

The defense asked Dzuzdanovic if the convoy left the area in order to get weapons. Dzuzdanovic said he went to Vitinica to join a local unit. Dzuzdanovic said he returned to Teocak, but not to establish the Territorial Defense’s headquarters, as alleged by the defense.

Fahrudin Mujagic was the second witness to testify at today’s hearing. He said he also went to Vitinica to get weapons, because he and others had been informed that Teocak would be attacked and surrounded.

Both Dzuzdanovic and Mujagic said they didn’t know who attacked the convoy or who participated in the murders.