TWO FOCA CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVORS TESTIFIED BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 3,2007) – Two more Foca concentration camp survivors recalled conditions in the concentration camp,run by the genocidal Serbian aggressor during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The Foca concentration camp survivors have testified before the Bosnian State Court, under additional protection measures, about the bad conditions in the concentraton camp.

The indictment alleges that Serbian war criminals Mitar Rasevic and Savo Todovic, participated in the establishment and continued implementation of "a system for maltreatment" of Bosnian civilians detained in the Foca concentration camp by the Serbian aggressor. These actions were carried out by many members of the Serbian aggressor's formations who entered the concentration camp with Rasevic's and Todovic's permission.

Witness stated that he still suffers severe physical and mental effects of the five-month detention in the Foca concentration camp – from 26 April to 31 October 1992.

"When I have been brought to the concentration camp I weighed 80 kilogrammes, and my weight was 39 kilogrammes when I was released," the concentration camp survivor said.

"There were times when we were so hungry that we could not walk across the room. They would cut one loaf of bread into 16 slices. Later on, they increased our portions, so we would cut one loaf of bread into 11 pieces," said the witness, who has testified from a separate room, with his image and voice blurred.

The defence attorneys and the indictees have noticed contradictions between the witness' statement given to ICTY investigators in The Hague in 1996 and his testimony before the Bosnian State Court.

In his statement given in 1996, the witness stated to have seen the following Serbian war criminals visiting Foca concentration camp: Dragan Zelenovic (after admitting guilt, he was sentenced by ICTY to 15 years imprisonment); Dragan Kunarac (sentenced to 28 years imprisonment for crimes committed in Foca) and Zoran Vukovic (sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for crimes committed in Foca).

He also claimed that they had beaten the Bosnian civilians detained in the concentration camp. Answering questions from defence attorney Slavisa Prodanovic, the witness has said that he heard that this was happening, but that he never saw these people.

In his statement of 1996 the witness said he had not seen Serbian war criminal Savo Todovic in the facility. In the courtroom, the witness has denied this, saying that he did see Todovic, through the window, in front of the concentration camp.

Second protected witness stated to have been brought to the concentration camp, on 24 May 1992, by the Serbian aggressor's soldiers. The witness stated to have been interrogated and beaten in "a dark room" on the first night in the concentration camp.

The witness further says that he was not beaten any more until 7 July 1992. However, the witness said that he could hear when other Bosnian civilians were beaten (to death) by the Serbian aggressor.

"The guards would take some people away after dinner. Those people never came back, but we could hear them being beaten. I shall not forget the screams for as long as I live," the witness has said adding that, "as far as he remembers", 16 or 18 Bosnian civilians were taken away in this manner by the genocidal Serbian aggressor.

The trial is due to continue on 9 October, when two more prosecution witnesses will be examined.