KARATERM CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVOR TESTIFIED BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT AT TRIAL OF FOUR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 17,2007) - Protected prosecution witness testified yesterday before the Bosnian State Court about the participation of Serbian war criminal Dusko Knezevic and Dusan Fustar in the maltreatment of Bosnian and Croatian civilians held by the genocidal Serbian aggressor in the Keraterm concentration camp.

Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic are charged with involvement in the murder, beating, rape and torture of Bosnian and Croatian civilians held in Omarska and Keraterm concentration camps during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

"Dusan Knezevic, who was better known as Duca, used to visit the concentration camp very often in a Mercedes, which had a sign on its door saying 'The Duke'. Some detainees called him by that name," the witness said.

"He was 27 or 28 years old at the time. He was a rather short man. Detainees told me that he was from Orlovci village. I do not think he performed any functions in the detention camp," said witness, who identified Serbian war criminal Dusan Knezevic in the courtroom.

"That is him," witness said.

The indictment alleges that Serbian war criminal Dusan Knezevic "occasionally visited Keraterm concentration camp and participated in the beating of detainees".

The witness told the Bosnian State Court that in the Keraterm concentration camp there were three guard-shifts known as "Kajo, Kole and Fustar's guard shift" and that shift commanders used to lock the rooms in which the detainees were held at night.

In November 2001, the International criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) sentenced Serbian war criminal Dragan Kolundzija, known as Kole, to three years imprisonment for crimes committed in Keraterm concentration camp.

"They did not lock the rooms every night, but they did it occasionally. When they did it, we felt good because we knew that they would not take us out and beat us that night. And we could sleep as well," witness said.

In the course of cross-examination, all indictees and their defence attorneys were introduced to the witness. Following the cross-examination, the witness identified Serbian war criminal Dusan Fustar in the courtroom.

The indictment, filed by the Bosnian State Prosecutor, alleges that Serbian war criminal Dusan Fustar was one of the three guard commanders in Keraterm concentration camp from May 24 to August 30, 1992.

The witness also recalled a massacre in room number three, which happened at the end of July 1992.Between 200 and 250 Bosnian and Croatian civilians were shot dead by the genocidal Serbian aggressor on that occasion.

"I remember that, on 24 and 25 July, they killed a number of people from room number three, who were then driven in a truck in an unknown direction. I know that blood was dripping from the truck and that a water tank washed it out afterwards," said the witness.

The trial is due to continue on October 31, 2007.