The protected witness talked about the shooting he survived near Prijedor, at the trial for crimes committed in Ljubija, as well as his stay in the culture house in Miska Glava and the fight at the stadium in Ljubija, where his cousin was killed.
Witness S-8 of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) testified that in 1992 he was 20 years old and lived with his family in Hambarine in Prijedor, when, due to the shelling of the village, he had to flee and hide with his relatives, before he was surrounded by the Serbian army, and when he was taken to the culture house in Miska Glava. There were more than 100 men in the culture house, and some of them were being led out, when blunt blows and moans were heard, the witness said.
On the second or third day, they were transported to the mine in Ljubija, and during the ride, an active police officer named Simo entered the bus. He added that they were taken out towards the stadium, where they were beaten by civilians and children, and a person named Steven asked his cousin what he had in terms of weapons. After he replied that he had “zolj”, Steven shot him with a gun. Steven, as he said, had a police uniform and was wearing a light-colored shirt with short sleeves.
Witness S-8 told how he was then hit in the head, after which he lost consciousness. He soon entered a bus in which there were already five to ten almost dead people, after which they were taken to the location where the shooting took place. According to him, three people came out at a time, who were shot, and then it was his turn.
“This first one who went, came out, took a step or two and lay down among the dead. I also go out and take a few steps, maybe four or five, and I was expecting a shot, and lie down. I hear: ‘Hold him, grab him’, there was a chase and everything calmed down, I’m still lying down,” said S-8, adding that they used the battery and car lights to illuminate and kill the live people, but he survived.
He added that later he met the man who was with him on the bus, and he told him how they broke the glass and ran away, which led to the chase.
Slobodan Taranjac, Miodrag Glusac, Ranko Babic, Ranko Dosenovic, Zdravko Panic, Trivo Vukic, Milan Vukic, Slobodan Knezevic and Milorad Obradovic were accused of participating in the illegal capture and imprisonment of 120 men – in the culture house in Miska Glava, and then in the stadium in Ljubija – and their torture and murders committed at the end of July 1992.
In the cross-examination, S-8 said that he was in the culture house in Miska Glava for three to five days at most. When asked by Babic‘s Defense if Simo was actually Simo Drljaca, the witness stated that he could only guarantee that Simo was an active policeman.
Before the hearing of the witness, the chairman of the Trial Chamber, Stanisa Gluhajic, said that the Court received a submission from the Defense of Miodrag Glusac, in relation to whom the proceedings were previously separated due to his health condition, stating that he is capable of attending the trials, after which the Court issued a decision on merging the proceedings. The court gave the Defense a deadline to familiarize itself with the evidence presented and the witnesses heard, after which it would declare whether it would like to cross-examine any of the witnesses or present any possible objections.
The date of the continuation of the trial will be announced afterward, Detektor reports.
E.Dz.
