5 February 2008
News
Trbic: Srebrenica Captives Held In Schools
BIRN BiHA witness in the trial of Milorad Trbic, claims to have seen buses outside a school in Pilice on July 14, 1995, where captives from Srebrenica were then killed.
The revelation came as witness Zoran Radosavljevic from Donje Pilice, in the Zvornik municipality was examined by the State Prosecution for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Prosecution accuses Trbic, as Assistant Commander for Security with the Zvornik Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army (VRS) and officer in charge of the Brigade's Military Police Squad, with participating in the forcible transfer of Bosniaks from Srebrenica, and the execution and burial of civilians in the period from July 11 to November 1, 1995.
It is alleged that on July 13 and 14, 1995 he was involved in the transport and detention of men from Srebrenica, who moved in buses and trucks to school buildings in the Zvornik area, including Orahovac, Petkovci, Rocevici and Kula, as well as the Culture House in Pilice.
Radosavljevic said he worked in Serbia during the war and was employed in a "firm situated by the border between Serbia and Bosnia", so he could go home to Donje Pilice every day after work.
"On July 13, 1995, Pero Petrovic, the president of the local community of Donje Pilice, told me that some people were to be imprisoned in the surrounding buildings. He told me that he and I should go to the elementary school building in the Kula settlement in Pilice the following day, to see what this was all about," the witness said.
Radosavljevic added that he met Petrovic and Cviko Milovanovic after returning from work on July 14. After that, they went to Kula together.
"I saw between seven and ten buses, guarded by around 15 to 20 unknown soldiers, parked in front of the "Majevicke brigade" school building in Kula. The soldiers had white belts. I saw some people sitting inside. I heard voices coming from the school building. I assumed that some of the people who had been brought there by buses were not in the school, as there were no pupils at that time," the witness explained, adding he heard that they were captives from Srebrenica.
"I was told they would be exchanged. Petrovic stayed in front of the school. He did not tell me who had informed him about the arrival of the buses. But he must have had contacts with the Zvornik municipal officials since he was president of the local community," Radosavljevic said.
The witness also suggested that Bosko Simic, referred to as "Petrovic's messenger", came to see him on July 15 and told him he was supposed to guard the prisoners.
"I did not reply to this. Instead, I left Pilice with my family and spent 16 days in Serbia," the witness said, adding that, upon his return, he found out that some captives had been murdered.
The trial of Milorad Trbic is due to continue on February 11.
The Prosecution accuses Trbic, as Assistant Commander for Security with the Zvornik Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army (VRS) and officer in charge of the Brigade's Military Police Squad, with participating in the forcible transfer of Bosniaks from Srebrenica, and the execution and burial of civilians in the period from July 11 to November 1, 1995.
It is alleged that on July 13 and 14, 1995 he was involved in the transport and detention of men from Srebrenica, who moved in buses and trucks to school buildings in the Zvornik area, including Orahovac, Petkovci, Rocevici and Kula, as well as the Culture House in Pilice.
Radosavljevic said he worked in Serbia during the war and was employed in a "firm situated by the border between Serbia and Bosnia", so he could go home to Donje Pilice every day after work.
"On July 13, 1995, Pero Petrovic, the president of the local community of Donje Pilice, told me that some people were to be imprisoned in the surrounding buildings. He told me that he and I should go to the elementary school building in the Kula settlement in Pilice the following day, to see what this was all about," the witness said.
Radosavljevic added that he met Petrovic and Cviko Milovanovic after returning from work on July 14. After that, they went to Kula together.
"I saw between seven and ten buses, guarded by around 15 to 20 unknown soldiers, parked in front of the "Majevicke brigade" school building in Kula. The soldiers had white belts. I saw some people sitting inside. I heard voices coming from the school building. I assumed that some of the people who had been brought there by buses were not in the school, as there were no pupils at that time," the witness explained, adding he heard that they were captives from Srebrenica.
"I was told they would be exchanged. Petrovic stayed in front of the school. He did not tell me who had informed him about the arrival of the buses. But he must have had contacts with the Zvornik municipal officials since he was president of the local community," Radosavljevic said.
The witness also suggested that Bosko Simic, referred to as "Petrovic's messenger", came to see him on July 15 and told him he was supposed to guard the prisoners.
"I did not reply to this. Instead, I left Pilice with my family and spent 16 days in Serbia," the witness said, adding that, upon his return, he found out that some captives had been murdered.
The trial of Milorad Trbic is due to continue on February 11.
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