THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, April 1 (Hina) - Two prosecutorial witnesses from Bosnia-Herzegovina took the stand on Tuesday in the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic before the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague
(ICTY).
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, April 1 (Hina) - Two prosecutorial witnesses from
Bosnia-Herzegovina took the stand on Tuesday in the trial of former
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic before the UN war crimes
tribunal at The Hague (ICTY). #L#
The two witnesses testified about the abuse they had been subjected
to in Serb camps.
Apart from Alija Guselic from Bijeljina, who began giving his
testimony on Monday, also testifying was protected witness B-71 for
whom it was said that he was a Croat from Jajce.
The indictment for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes
in Bosnia charges Milosevic with the killing of at least 48 Muslim
and Croat civilians in Bijeljina on April 1 and 2, 1992.
Guselic testified about regular beatings and other forms of abuse
he was submitted to during the 11 months he spent in the camps in
Batkovici and Doboj in 1992 and 1993.
He said that he had also been sexually assaulted in the camps but
that he had not mentioned this earlier to Bosnian and ICTY
investigators because he was ashamed.
During the cross-examination, Milosevic, who is defending himself,
attacked the credibility of the witness and his testimony
presenting a series of intelligence data on Guselic's private life
and events which took place in Bjeljina in March and April 1992. An
investigation conducted by the NATO-led Stabilisation Force has
established that Bosnian Serb entity's secret services are
significantly helping Milosevic to build his defence.
Witness B-71 spoke about his experience in the camps of Manjaca and
Prnjavor and the Kula barracks in Mrkonjic Grad, where he said he
had been tortured and beaten with bats and electrical cables.
He said that in the Manjaca camp near Banja Luka he used to clean the
torture room which was always smeared with fresh blood and where he
often saw prisoners who were beaten up, starved and dirty.
The witness also described his stay in the Stari Mlin camp near
Prnjavor and a barracks in Derventa where he was imprisoned with
forced labour.
Witness B-71 will end giving his testimony on Wednesday.
(hina) it sb