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Serbs Warned to Leave Kozarac Before Lethal Shelling Began
Judges in Dusan Tadic trial hear of early
Billed by prosecutors as the first witness to testify publicly against Tadic at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal, Blasevic spoke for 90 minutes without mentioning the atrocities of which Tadic is accused. But when her testimony continues Thursday, Blasevic is expected to discuss on Tadic’s role at the Serb-run Trnopolje camp, where torture and other atrocities were said to be a daily occurrence during the 43-month war.
Tadic, a guard at the camp, is accused of murdering inmates. Tribunal sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Blasevic worked in the camp’s hospital. Flanked by U.N. guards, Tadic lowered his eyes and appeared to be writing notes when Blasevic took her seat just a few feet from his chair in the defendant’s dock.
Her dark curly hair fastened in a pony tail, Blasevic, 36, glanced briefly at Tadic before turning away to begin her testimony. Tadic, a 40-year-old karate expert, is charged with murdering people just like Blasevic — his former Muslim neighbor. He has denied the charges.
His trial is the first for the U.N. tribunal, formed to judge the worst offenders of a war that killed or left missing more than 200,000 people before a U.S.-brokered cease-fire took effect last year. However, of 58 indicted suspects, including Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, only six are in custody awaiting trial.
Blasevic identified Tadic’s house and the cafe he owned on a prosecution video of Kozarac, told the court she knew him, then described a Serb exodus from Kozarac in late May 1992 as rebel Serb forces ringed the town. Muslims were prevented from leaving, she said. Then the shelling started, apparently targeting a medical center where wounded were being treated by Blasevic and three Muslim doctors, she said. The Serb artillery forced the medical team to flee.
"Remaining at the medical center was practically impossible," Blasevic said. "Nobody could bring us wounded any more because of such frequent shelling." After days of intense shelling and many casualties, rebel Serbs agreed to allow civilians and the wounded to leave what remained of Kozarac, she said.
It was not clear what became of the convoy that took away the Muslims from town that day. Authorities believe many Muslims ended up in Serb-run camps like Trnopolje and Omarska that have since closed.
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Berserkistan, June 11 · First Eyewitness Testifies Against Tadic
Berserkistan, June 7 · Tadic Defense Won’t Challenge Serb-Yugoslavia Caused War
Berserkistan, May 9 · Historian Disclaims Civil War Defence in Tadic Trial
May 8 · Historian Sets Context for Atrocities in Day 2 of Tadic Trial
May 8 · Muslims in Sarajevo React to Tribunal Trial
May 7 · Defense: Tadic Had No Role in Murder, Torture
May 7 · On Trial's Eve, Tadic Claims Innocence
May 7 · Childhood Friend Says Tadic was Cruel, Artistic
Key Facts about the War Crimes Tribunal
War Crimes Profile: Dusan Tadic
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia from the United Nations
Coalition for International Justice
Reports concerning human rights abuses in Bosnia published by Intac Access
Major War Criminals/Suspects from CalTech's Bosnia Site
Reports on War Crimes in the Former Yugoslavia from CalTech's Bosnia Site
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