Witness Describes Murder of Husband and Son at Vlasenko and Koncar Trial

Mitar Vlasenko, Rade Vlasenko and Drago Koncar have been charged with participating in the persecution of the non-Serb civilian population from the Prijedor area from May 24 to mid-August 1992. The indictment alleges that forcible disappearances happened as part of the persecution.

State prosecution witness Namka Talic testified at today’s hearing. Talic said the shooting began on May 24, 1992. She said she went to the village center with her daughter, while her husband and son stayed at home.

“Hasan and Enes stayed in front of the house. We haven’t seen them again since,” Talic said.

Talic said she was taken to the Trnopolje detention camp with approximately 1,500 Bosniaks two days later. Talic was unable to specify how long she was held in the camp prior to going to the village of Sivci, where she found out that her husband Hasan had been killed.

Talic said she spoke to a protected witness known as S-1 in Lusci Palanka in the municipality of Sanski Most in 1997. She said S-1 told her that her son and four other people had been killed in front of Muharem Cirkin’s house.

“S-1 didn’t mention who had killed them…I didn’t insist. I was fed up with everything,” Talic said.

Talic said she recognized her son’s clothes and a sweater belonging to her brother-in-law, Emir Talic, during the identification of the remains. She said she never found her husband’s body.

A statement given by deceased witness Senad Halkic was read at today’s hearing. In his statement, Halkic said S-1 told him that his brother Mirsad and other people had been killed in the vicinity of Muharem Cirkin’s house. He said refugees who had gone to Slovenia told him that Rade and Mitar Vlasenko participated in the murders.

The defense said the identity of the refugees was unknown and that Talic knew nothing about the crime the defendants were charged with.

The trial will continue on December 15.