FOCA CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVOR TESTIFIED AT TRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS MITAR RASEVIC AND SAVO TODOVIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 10,2007) – A Foca concentration camp survivor, who spent two and a half years in the concentration camp, has testified as a protected Prosecution witness at the trial of Serbian war criminals Mitar Rasevic and Savo Todovic before the Bosnian State Court.

"It was shocking for all of us when we saw the guards coming in with some papers in their hands," witness has described how the detainees felt when the guards would take other detainees away.

The indictment charges Serbian war criminal Mitar Rasevic, former commander of guards in the Foca concentration camp, and Savo Todovic, its former deputy manager, with having participated in a "joint criminal enterprise" against Bosnian civilians held in the Foca concentration camp established during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Witnes stated to have been brought to the Foca concentration camp by the Serbian aggressor on 18 April 1992 and released, through an exchange, on 5 October 1994.

Answering the Prosecution's questions, the witness has recalled one night when about ten Bosnian civilians were taken away by the genocidal Serbian aggressor. He has said that he heard screams after the Serbian aggressor's soldiers had taken those Bosnians out of the room. None came back.

"The guards could not do it by themselves. There must have been a superior officer in the concentration camp," witnes concluded, adding that he thinks that the facility's "management team" consisted of Serbian war criminals Milorad Krnojelac, Savo Todovic and Mitar Rasevic.

The ICTY sentenced Serbian war criminal Milorad Krnojelac, former "manager" of Foca concentration camp, to 15 years imprisonment for crimes committed there.

Speaking about the happenings in the Foca concentration camp, witness has also recalled working groups composed of detainees.

"Todovic established the working group and we had to perform various tasks prescribed by the management," witness said, adding that his participation in the group was a privilege, although the group members performed hard and exhausting work.

"When we went out to perform some work, we would sometimes get some extra food," said the Foca concentration camp survivor, who lost 40 kilogrammes in the first two months he spent in the concentration camp.

The indictment alleges,among other, that Serbian war criminals Todovic and Rasevic participated in the establishment of a forced labour system. The Bosnian civilians detained by the genocidal Serbian aggressor in the Foca concentration camp had to perform heavy labor in the furniture factory, metal and mechanical workshops, agricultural works, in mills and the Miljevina mine, clear debris from damaged buildings in Foca,etc.

The trial of Serbian war criminals Mitar Rasevic and Savo Todovic before the Bosnian State Court is due to continue on 16 October 2007.