Witness Describes Abuse and Torture in Betonirka Factory and Manjaca Detention Camp

Vrucinic, a former public safety station chief and crisis committee member in Sanski Most, has been charged with participating in a joint criminal enterprise from April to December 1992. The enterprise involved acts of murder, forcible resettlement, unlawful detention and enforced disappearances.

Testifying at today’s hearing, state prosecution witness Adem Seferovic said he and 18 other men were taken to the Sanski Most police station after the shelling of Hrustovo on June 1, 1993. He said they were held in front of the station for approximately half an hour before being taken to the Betonirka factory garage.

Seferovic said he was beaten up in the garage during his detention in the factory and that other detainees were beaten more often than him.

“Some were beaten, looking horrible. The conditions were really bad, no food, no water, beatings, too hot. I had only one meal in six days,” Seferovic said.

Seferovic said his father was brought to the Betonirka factory on the same day and that he noticed injuries on him. Seferovic said he heard his father’s name being called two or three days later, and he was taken away. He said he found his father’s remains in a mass grave after the war.

Seferovic said certain guards who were also policemen ordered two detainees to beat other detainees.

“We stood facing the wall, while Zuhdija Zukic hit us with a wooden bar,” Seferovic said.

Seferovic said he was taken to the Manjaca detention camp on June 6, 1992. Upon his arrival, he said he had to walk through two lines of soldiers who beat him.

“Soldiers formed two lines…They hit us with all sorts of objects, bars, batons, their legs…They called it being “registered” in Manjaca,” Seferovic said.

Seferovic said two detainees from the Betonirka factory, whom he knew, weren’t brought to the Manjaca detention camp. They were found in mass graves later on. He said he heard they were returned and killed on the road.

Seferovic also said that investigators from Sanski Most used to come to the Manjaca detention camp and take statements from people from Sanski Most.

Redzo Kurbegovic, the former president of the municipal branch of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) in Sanski Most, also testified at today’s hearing. Kurbegovic, whose examination began on January 15, 2015, confirmed that police from Sanski Most brought him and others to the Manjaca detention camp.

He said the defendant, whom he knew from before, was the chief of the Sanski Most police.

Kurbegovic was played an audio recording of a proclamation he was forced to read at the Sanski Most police station, which was then broadcast on Radio Sana. In his proclamation, Bosniaks were told they weren’t in danger and were invited to hand over their weapons.

“There’s no way I would have written such proclamation,” Kurbegovic said.

The trial will continue on February 12.