Injured Party in Mario Frimel Trial Said He was Beaten by Defendant

The cantonal prosecution of Sarajevo has charged Frimel, the former commander of the Ivan Krndelj Squad of the Bosnian Army (ABiH), with unlawfully arresting as well as physically and mentally abusing Serbs in the Hrasno neighbourhood of Sarajevo at the beginning of October 1992.

Injured party Mladen Blagovcanin testified for the cantonal prosecution on February 14, 2014. On that date he said he was beaten up in the premises of a former shopping center in Hrasno and that the defendant sat on his chest and hit him with a walkie-talkie.

Testifying as per an invitation from the defense, at today’s hearing Blagovcanin said he saw Frimel for the first time after the end of the war in the Kaptol café.

“I could barely control myself not to start a fight,” Blagovcanin said.

Blagovcanin was presented with two photographs from that period, in which he recognized Frimel.

Blagovcanin said two more persons were hit in the back two or three times, so they fell down.

“I don’t think they had injuries on their faces,” Blagovcanin said.

Also testifying at today’s hearing, defense witness Sucro Hrvat said he was a member of the Ivan Krndelj Squad commanded by Mario Frimel. He said a military police squad arrested some people in October 1992. He said he didn’t know the ethnicity of the people who were arrested.

Hrvat said he knew Mladen Blagovcanin by sight, but didn’t remember him being arrested on that occasion.

Hrvat said he saw his neighbour Branko Toholj among the arrested persons. Military policemen, who weren’t members of his squad, took him to the “Pliva” building.

According to Hrvat, Mario Frimel was in the “Ina” building. He said his shoulder was wounded at the time.

The prosecution asked Frimel he was sure he didn’t see Frimel in the “Pliva” premises at the time. Frimel said he would have recognized him had he been there.

The trial will continue on March 28, when the defendant will testify in his own defense.