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Klickovic et al: Justified Evacuation

Klickovic i ostali

10 February 2010  Testifying for the Defence of Gojko Klickovic, Zdravko Marceta, former Chief of Headquarters of the Territorial Defence in Bosanska Krupa, says the first indictee was not superior to military structures in the town, adding that the evacuation of Bosniaks from the area was justified.

"The war happened. Our defence forces were not strong, and we also had to secure the places inhabited by Muslims. We could have let people live without ensuring their safety, but it would have been risky because of the groups of extremists who came to the area. Had we done something like that, God forbid, we would have ended up like Srebrenica,"  Marceta said, adding that Krupa civilian authorities undertook evacuations, in collaboration with military structures, due to the existence of "a possibility for organizing defence".

In December 2008 Marceta testified for the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On that occasion he spoke about the activities of the civilian and military structures in Bosanska Krupa.

Gojko Klickovic is charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes against civilians and prisoners-of-war and violations of the laws and customss of war committed in the Bosanska Krupa area during 1992. The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges him, Mladen Drljaca and Jovan Ostojic with participation in a joint criminal enterprise which began in the summer of 1991 with the aim of creating a separate state of Bosnian Serbs.

The indictment alleges that, "in line with Gojko Klickovic's written order", the civilian Muslim population was forcibly resettled from Krupa town, Arapusa, Zaluge, Potkalinje, Veliki Dubovik, Velika Jasenica and Zalin villages to the Bihac and Sanski Most area in May 1992.

"You find a solution, in cooperation with the civilian authorities in other municipalities, on how to accommodate those people. (...) I remember hearing some complaints, later on, about why those people had been evacuated. Some said they should have been killed, but there were some people who supported the decision," Marceta said, answering the first indictee's questions.

The witness said that, on April 21, 1992, "Muslim forces" attacked Bosanska Krupa. He said that, at the request of a person named Miroslav Mamlic, a former member of the town's Territorial Defence forces, a brigade from Sanski most came to the town to help them after the attack had begun.

"It was questionable whether we would be able to defend the town, because the other side had more manpower and more arms. (...) I think we took the positions on the right bank of the Una river on the second, third or fourth day after the beginning of the attack," Marceta said.

Noting that the Una river divides Bosanska Krupa into two parts he said most Bosniaks lived on the left bank, while the Serbs inhabited the right bank.   

Marceta said that the decision made by the Assembly of the Serb municipality of Bosanska Krupa on April 24, 1992 to destroy the bridges in the town "made sense".

"Klickovic could not have been superior to the military structures, but it was advisable for us to establish cooperation with the civil authorities. (...) I consider this more as a recommendation than an order, because we were asked to execute the task as per our own judgment," Marceta said, adding that the concrete bridge in Krupa was destroyed, in accordance with "a military assessment", after the beginning of military action.

The trial is due to continue on February 10, 2010.