Wounded soldiers in Dobrovoljačka treated at Koševo for days

(Patria) - The trial in the case of Ejup Ganić and others (Dobrovoljačka) continued today before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Slobodan Bojanić, who now lives in Priboj, testifying as a witness for the BiH Prosecutor's Office. In May 1992, he was 20 years old.

The witness told Prosecutor Mladen Vukojičić that on May 3rd, he was at the Command of the Second Military District when they received orders to go to Lukavica and take their personal belongings and personal weapons with them.

He confirmed that they entered the vehicles with personal weapons, and this witness had an automatic rifle, four magazines of ammunition, and one grenade, and they were in civilian clothes. He said that soldier Miodrag Đukić and three officers were in the vehicle with him.

Describing the events of May 3rd, he said that the convoy started and stopped several times, and the third time it stopped, they got out of the vehicles, a group approached them and took their personal weapons.

When asked if they were uniformed individuals, the witness said that some had uniforms but they were not the army. He still had his belt with a grenade, but a young man approached and took that belt from him.

He said they received orders to lie down, and then shooting started, and he was wounded in the left arm, while Đukić was killed.

After some time, they came for him, and he was transferred first to the infirmary, and then to Koševo hospital for treatment.

Judge Darko Samardžić asked the witness if other wounded soldiers were also transferred to Koševo, which he confirmed. They were exchanged on May 11th when a military truck came for them.

The defense attorney for Ejup Ganić and Zaim Backović, Jesenka Rešidović, asked the witness what he was transporting, given that he worked as a driver. He said he mostly transported personnel and that he drove some inspection to Manjača. When asked if he was aware that Sarajevo was shelled from JNA positions during April, Bojanić said they heard explosions but nothing was presented to them.

When asked if he was aware that Senad Šećerović and his driver were killed on April 26th by shots from the Second Military District, Bojanić said he saw it on television that evening.

In a follow-up question, he said he was not aware that fighting was taking place, even though he had already confirmed that they watched TV at the command.

He said that at the moment the shooting started when the convoy stopped in Dobrovoljačka, he didn't know where the shooting was coming from or who was shooting. When asked if anyone hit them in Dobrovoljačka, the witness confirmed that there was no such thing.

Lawyer Senad Pizović, who is defending Fikret Muslimović, asked the witness if they perceived the people in Dobrovoljačka as soldiers.

"They didn't have uniforms, they were dressed in various ways," he said.

When asked if they received the same treatment as other patients in the hospital, if they received food and cigarettes, the witness confirmed that everyone was correct.

Lawyer for Bakir Alispahić, Mirna Avdibegović, asked the witness if he saw the moment when Zdravko Tomović was wounded, to which he confirmed he did not. When Judge Samardžić asked how much time passed between Zdravko Tomović's wounding and death, the witness said he died the next day.

After the cross-examination of this witness was concluded, Rešidović proposed to shorten the list of witnesses for the BiH Prosecutor's Office, given that 277 witnesses were proposed, and about 120 of them are from the former JNA.

"According to calculations, there are about 92 witnesses left to be examined on the same circumstances. The defense's proposal is to somehow narrow down this number," said Rešidović.

Prosecutor Vukojičić said they are still checking how many witnesses have died, and they will withdraw from some of the remaining 92 witnesses.

Judge Samardžić asked the prosecutor to provide a list of deceased witnesses.

The trial will continue on December 10th.