Former Sanski Most Prisoner Describes Torture at Vrucinic Trial

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

Osman Talic, a former member of the municipal assembly in Sanski Most, testified at today’s hearing. Talic said he went to an informative interview with the police after he heard an announcement broadcast on the radio on May 26, 1992.

“I went to that interview and they arrested me…Some policemen, I don’t know who they were, beat me,” Talic said. He said one of the investigators winked at the policemen when he wanted them to hit him.

Talic was transferred and detained in the Betonirka factory, where he was beaten and interrogated every day. Talic said Dzo Banana, who was a policeman before the war, interrogated him. According to Talic, detainees were beaten by people who were police officers before the war.

Talic said he was transferred to other locations as well and was returned to the police building in July 1992. He said he was ordered to clean the kitchen and then was beaten. He said an unknown man put his hands into a pot and poured boiling water over his hands.

Talic said he got blisters and that the skin fell off of his hands. He said his wounds got infected with worms in his prison cell.

“The pain was unbearable,” Talic said. He said he was transported to Manjaca and then to the Batkovic detention camp, near Bijeljina. He was exchanged in October 1993.

Responding to questions from the defense, Talic confirmed he was a councilor and a member of the top leadership of the Party for Democratic Action. He also confirmed that he supervised the armament of the village of Sehovci. He said approximately 30 pieces of weaponry were handed over to the police afterwards.

“There were both long barrels and pistols,” Talic said. He confirmed that a light machine-gun was confiscated from him on that occasion.

Witness Sadeta Talic said she used to bring food to Talic, her brother-in-law, in the Betonirka factory and police buildings every day. She said sometimes the food she brought was given to him and sometimes it wasn’t, “depending on the mood” of the detention facility staff she dealt with.

She said she was allowed to visit Talic once on police premises and noticed blisters on his hands, which he kept under a desk.

The trial will continue on March 18.