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Before the witness gave his testimony, the prosecution read the indictment at today’s hearing. Krsto Dostic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS), allegedly raped a woman known as S-1. He allegedly went to S-2’s house in the village of Ljubovici in the municipality of Foca on an unknown date between April and August 1992. S-1 was in the house with her two children. Dostic allegedly ordered S-1 to leave with him.
According to the charges, Dostic took S-1 into a shed and ordered her to take her clothes off. When she told him she was pregnant, Dostic knocked her down and raped her. He then threatened her not to tell anyone about the rape.
It is further alleged that Dostic came to her house again and raped S-1 once or twice more.
Muamer Muratovic, the first state prosecution witness, said he and his family lived in “a village that belonged to Aladza” in the Foca area in 1992. He said they heard shooting and detonation explosions at the beginning of April 1992. He said their Serb neighbours often warned them of an upcoming attack and told them to hand over their hunting weapons.
According to Muratovic, after the third warning the Serb military entered the village and captured the local Bosniak population. They were placed in three Bosniak houses and held in “a sort of home detention,” Muratovic said.
Muratovic said S-1, whose husband had been taken to a detention camp, was held in one of those houses.
“I know she had problems with food and that she was forced to suffer insults and sexual abuse. I heard that from women. I heard that several neighbours visited S-1 and subjected her to sexual violence. Neighbours Krsto Dostic and Bozo Dostic. I don’t know if the women who spoke about it saw it personally or if S-1 complained to them,” Muratovic said.
Responding to the defense’s cross-examination questions, Muratovic said he had never seen Dostic treat anyone badly.
“I know Krsto Dostic as my neighbour. I know he used to work at a post office. I used to see him from April to July 2. I know he was engaged as a sentinel. He was uniformed and armed. Everyone was armed. I never had any contact with him,” Muratovic said.
The date of the next hearing will be set at a later stage.
