Back in May 1992 the so-called Croat Community of Herceg-Bosna was established in Mostar following a military coup by the Croat Defence Council (HVO), which exercised both military and civilian authority.
"It covered all segments of society, the health system, the education system... Muslims were forced to pledge allegiance to Herceg-Bosna if they wanted to keep their offices, medical practices...," Smajkic said.
"Muslim professors and cleaning ladies at Mostar University were expelled and the university became a purely Croat university," the mufti said, adding that one of the accused, Jadranko Prlic, had played an important role in the process as a university professor and Bosnian Croat politician.
Speaking about the situation in Mostar in the summer of 1993, Smajkic said that between 200 and 300 Muslims were expelled from the city and detained in HVO-run camps at Dretelj and Gabela, including several of his associates, religious dignitaries.
He particularly remembered an event which occurred on May 9, 1993, when HVO forces expelled thousands of Muslims, including children, from the western to the eastern part of the city.
The eastern part of the city, populated mostly by Muslims, was "hell's antechamber" because it was under constant sniper and cannon fire from HVO positions. "There was not a single mosque in the city that was not destroyed," Smajkic said dismissing claims that Muslim religious buildings were used for military purposes.
The six former political and military leaders, Jadranko Prlic, Bruno Stojic, Valentin Coric, General Milivoj Petkovic, General Slobodan Praljak and Berislav Pusic, are charged with war crimes committed in a campaign aimed at expelling Muslims and other non-Croats from the territory of the Croat Community of Herceg-Bosna during the 1993/94 Croat-Muslim conflict.
The Mostar mufti will continue his testimony on Thursday when he will be cross-examined by defence counsel.