No Abuse of Civilians Occurred in Bihac Area, Say Witnesses at Stanarevic Trial

Zeljko Stanarevic, a former military police officer with the 15th Light Infantry Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with participating in the persecution of Bosniak civilians as part of a widespread and systematic attack by the military and police on the villages of Ripac, Cukovi, Orasac, Klisa and Kulen-Vakuf in the municipality of Bihac.

He has also been charged with participating in the murder of 11 prisoners held in a facility in Ripac in June and July 1992. He and other Bosnian Serb Army members allegedly transported the prisoners to the Bezdan Pit, where they were executed and buried.

Former military major Milan Repac testified at today’s hearing. Repac said the Yugoslav National Army’s “27 Juli” military barracks in Bihac was dismissed in May 1992. He said after the dismissal, he went to Ripac, where the Serb municipality of Bihac was established.

“The 15th Light Infantry Brigade was formed at the same time. I worked with the brigade as a clerk…The military police was also a part of the brigade. Its task was to guard the command, to provide supplies for the Grabez military barracks and to transport newly recruited soldiers to combat lines,” Repac said.

Repac said he saw Stanarevic only once, when he guarded the brigade’s commander in Racic in August or September 1992.

Repac then described the disarmament of the Bosniak population in the villages of Orasac, Kulen Vakuf and Cukovi in June 1992. He said many weapons had been collected once as a result of negotiations.

“I know we received an order from the Command of the Second Krajiski Corps on June 10 to select a certain number of our men and send them to the Tactical Group, which was in the field. Several military policemen were among the soldiers, members of the Light Infantry Brigade, who were deployed to that location, because they had originally come from that area…A lot of weapons were collected. More than 500 pieces certainly,” Repac said.

Repac said he didn’t receive any other information on the happenings in those villages.

“Later on I saw captives in Ripac. They were held in the part where the warehouse was. They were surrounded with wire. They were civilians guarded by civil police,” Repac said.

Jovo Divjak, also a former member of the 15th Light Infantry Brigade, was the second witness to testify at today’s hearing. He said he was in the vicinity of Orasac, Cukovi and Kulen Vakuf on June 10, 1992.

“They just surrendered to us. There were no casualties. All of them were taken to Strbacki Buk. I don’t know what happened to them afterwards. I know our task was to secure a part of the division line in order to prevent intrusions into our villages,” Divjak said.

He said he knew Zeljko Stanarevic from before the war.

“I know he was a train dispatcher. He comes from a good family. He would not even hurt an animal, let alone a human being,” he said.

Mirko Dotlic, the third witness to testify at today’s hearing, said he had known the defendant since 1988. He said they used to work together at the railway station between Bihac and Knin.

“Train dispatching is a serious job. The person has to be healthy,” Dotlic said. He said he never heard that Stanarevic consumed alcohol or drugs.

The trial will continue on December 7.