Saturday, September 22, 2007

TRIAL OF CROATIAN WAR CRIMINAL PASKO LJUBICIC BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT TO CONTINUE ON 24 SEPTEMBER

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 22,2007) - At the trial before the Bosnian State Court of Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic, who is charged with war crimes committed on the territory of Central Bosnia as a member of the Croatian aggressor's formations during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia, a protected Prosecution witness has recalled the maltreatment and torture he experienced in Kaonik concentration camp set up by the Croatian aggressor.

However, the witness has not been able to confirm what role the indictee had in the concentration camp.

"We were taken from the camp to dig trenches. Everything was fine until one soldier took me behind a tree and ordered me to take my clothes off. He started beating me and ordered me to sing. After that, other soldiers came and the beating continued," protected witness O has said.

Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic is charged with having planned, ordered and perpetrated the attacks on Bosnian villages and towns in Central Bosnia area, including Busovaca and Vitez.

The witness has said that "the worst thing that happened to him" was when the Croatian aggressor's soldiers "set his beard on fire using a torch", and also when "one soldier" took his French beret off his head, set it to fire and then forced him to eat it.

"I had to eat the burning cap, which could not burn down as it was made of fireproof material," the protected witness has recalled, with his eyes full of tears.

Witness O was brought to Kaonik concentration camp on 25 January 1993 and he was released on 8 February 1993.

Answering the defence's questions in the course of the cross-examination, the witness has said that he has never seen the indictee or "heard any bad things about him".

The trial is set to continue on 24 September.

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