Koricanske stijene: Afraid and Ashamed
23 December 2009 On the second day of his testimony, Gordan Djuric said he saw "a few" members of the Interventions Squad at Koricanske stijene immediately after the murder of about 200 civilians in August 1992.
"I did not see who had been shooting. I cannot confirm any of them had been shooting. I can only say who was present there," Djuric said.
Djuric was sentenced to eight years in prison for having participated in this crime. According to his guilt admission, he did not shoot at the civilians, but stood guard while others did this.
He was originally charged under the same indictment as seven other former members of the Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor with crimes committed on Mount Vlasic on August 21, 1992. After having admitted guilt in September this year, he agreed to testify against the other indictees, who are charged with the same crime.
Djuric's examination began at the hearing held on December 17 this year, as part of the trial of Sasa Zecevic, Radoslav Knezevic, Petar Civcic, Branko Topola and Marinko Ljepoja.
The indictment alleges that Civcic was former Commander of the First Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, Zecevic, Knezevic and Ljepoja were members of the same Squad, and Topola was a guard in Trnopolje detention camp, near Prijedor.
On the second day of his testimony, during cross-examination, Djuric was asked why he had said during the investigation that he had guarded the bus transporting the civilians on August 21, 1992, while, during his testimony he had said he had been in one of the trucks.
"I did it because I was afraid, as the civilians, who were in the truck, were robbed. I also felt somehow ashamed for what happened on that day," Djuric said.
The indictment alleges that on the way from Prijedor to Koricani the trucks stopped several times in order for the policemen escorting them to rob the passengers.
The next hearing is due to take place on February 4, 2010, when protected witness K3 will testify for the Prosecution.
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The opinions expressed in Balkan Insight are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
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