RIJEKA, Sept 6 (Hina) - The 1991 commander of a battalion of the 118th Gospic Brigade, Pajo Brkljacic, on Friday testified before the Rijeka County Court in the war crimes trial of the so-called Gospic Group.
RIJEKA, Sept 6 (Hina) - The 1991 commander of a battalion of the
118th Gospic Brigade, Pajo Brkljacic, on Friday testified before
the Rijeka County Court in the war crimes trial of the so-called
Gospic Group. #L#
Brkljacic, who was called to testify by one of the defendants, Mirko
Norac, spoke about the organising of the first military units in the
Gospic region at the onset of the Homeland War, and about the
defence of the town and the surrounding area.
Responding to questions from Norac, Brkljacic said the defendant
always joined the troops during offensives, and that he never
issued orders which would be against the law.
Brkljacic said that in 1991 he did not know that people in Gospic
were being abducted and killed.
In response to a question from Norac, the witness said that at the
beginning of the war the Perusic unit acted alone.
Reacting to this claim, another defendant, Stjepan Grandic, said
that the unit never acted alone. At the time he commanded the
Perusic unit, which was later turned into a battalion. It was part
of the Gospic Brigade and under that brigade's commander, he said.
According to the indictment, Grandic kept civilians in a Perusic
barracks before they were taken to be executed. He is also charged
with having organised the killing of a group of civilians at the
Lipova Glavica location in which, the indictment alleges, the
Perusic unit took part.
During investigation, Grandic said that he had received orders from
Norac by telephone.
The trial resumes on Monday.
(hina) ha sb