Radisic Didn’t Abuse Members of Teslic Work Squad, Defense Witnesses Claim

Radisic, the former commander of the work squad of the Teslicka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with participating in the abuse of Bosniak civilians in Teslic from 1992 to 1995.
 
He has been charged with taking several persons to locations where they performed forced labour. While working on the the frontlines, at least six civilians were killed and some were wounded.

A protected witness known as S1, who was a former member of Radisic’s work squad, testified at today’s hearing. S1 said the squad consisted of Bosniaks and Croats from Teslic and that Radisic accompanied them as they dug trenches and completed other tasks for the Bosnian Serb Army.
 
“We came to the same spot every day. There were 30 of us. Captain Aleksa Radisic made the schedule and divided up the tasks. Pero Radisic was the commander of the squad. He came to pick us up, he took us to the frontlines and returned us home,” S1 said.
 
S1 said that all able-bodied Bosniak and Croat men in the area had to serve in the work squad. S1 said Radisic never abused them, but they sometimes had problems on the front lines.
 
“The worst thing was when a soldier died. Then there were problems. Radisic’s assignment was to protect us. Some people told him they were abused by soldiers, others didn’t, but Pero never abused anyone,” S1 said.

Predrag Jotanovic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb Army, also testified today in Radisic’s defense. He said he knew most of the members of the work squad and had gone to school with them.

“If Radisic had abused them, I would have known,” Jotanovic said.
 
“People died, some were wounded, but from the shelling, since they worked on the frontlines of battle,” Jotanovic said.
 
According to Jotanovic, Radisic gave soldiers food until August 1993, and later served in a different platoon.
 
“The unit commanders asked for the work squad, then Radisic would go get the people. I think they had a symbiosis. They trusted Pero would bring them back safely. They had a good relationship,” Jotanovic said.
 
Milutin Kasapovic was the third witness to testify at today’s hearing. He described Radisic as a regular soldier.
 
“The commanders on the frontline asked for men to work. Radisic only picked them up and returned them. I never heard that he caused problems,” Kasipovic said.

The trial resumes on January 29.