Defense Witnesses Say Zelenika Never Mistreated Heliodrom Detainees

Zelenika, a former member of the Croatian Defense Council, has been charged with physically and mentally abusing a prisoner named Almir Lalic while prisoners from the Heliodrom detention camp worked on Santiceva Street in Mostar in November 1993.

He has also been charged with the severe physical abuse of Muhamed Lalic in his apartment in Mostar on the night of May 6 or 7, 1994.

Ilija Bogdan, the former assistant commander for logistics with the Second Battalion of the Croatian Defense Council, testified at today’s hearing. Bogdan said he used to meet Zelenika every day. He said Zelenika had extremely good relations with detainees in Heliodrom and that the detainees liked him.

“None of the detainees told me they were persecuted by Zelenika or that he did bad things. I know that detainees came from Heliodrom. They always had food and cigarettes. They performed labour on Santiceva Street. They filled bags with sand. I didn’t go there, but we held meetings every morning at which commanders and soldiers submitted reports on the previous day. I never heard that anybody hit or mistreated detainees,” Bogdan said.

Defense attorney Branko Karadeglic asked Bogdan whether he remembered what Zelenika was wearing at the time. Bogdan said he wore a camouflage uniform but didn’t have a hat.

Alen Omanovic, who was detained in Heliodrom from June to December 1993, was the second witness to testify. He said never heard that Zelenika mistreated anyone during his detention.

“I volunteered to go work on Santiceva Street, because I heard they gave food and cigarettes to those detainees. I was a member of the police at the time and I knew some of the soldiers, so I didn’t work, but spent time with the soldiers in an apartment in Santiceva, where we spoke and ate. On our way back, detainees would always tell me what had happened on that day. Nobody ever mentioned that Zelenika mistreated Almir Lalic. Lalic has never mentioned it to me either. I did not notice any injuries on his body,” Omanovic said.

Omanovic said Zelenika always wore a hat, a military uniform and sneakers.

“He was limping. He used to take a dog with him,” Omanovic said.

The trial will continue on November 27.