Ex-Croat minister: Civilians were executed as enemies

Croatia's wartime Interior Minister Ivan Vekić has admitted that the authorities of that country executed civilians during the war in the first half of the 90s.

Izvor: Tanjug

Wednesday, 20.02.2013.

15:16

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SISAK Croatia's wartime Interior Minister Ivan Vekic has admitted that the authorities of that country executed civilians during the war in the first half of the 90s. "They had good reasons for that," Vekic said during a trial in Osijek for Vladimir Milankovic and Drago Bosnjak, charged with murder and expulsion of Serb civilians in the town of Sisak. Ex-Croat minister: Civilians were executed as enemies "Did we or did we not kill somebody? Yes we did! You cannot win a war without killing the enemy," he told the court. The former minister further explained that the wartime authorities in Croatia "had a great problem to recognize who were the so-called civilians among the enemies", the Banja Luka-based daily Nezavisne Novine reported. “Is a civilian someone who dresses like that but has hidden intentions and hostility?,” Vekic asked, adding that “if needed such people were executed”. But he did not clarify how the authorities detected that a Serb civilian had "hostile intentions". "If need be - such people were liquidated. We had to do it," he went on, and reiterated his arguments about "the 5th column" and "aggression". "There was a war - and as for what's permitted and what isn't in a war - that's another story." A small number of witnesses who dared to publicly speak about the circumstances surrounding these crimes said during the hearing that persons in uniforms and balaclavas abducted Serbs in Sisak in the streets and at working places, or broke into their homes during the night or curfew, and kidnapped them. Vladimir Milankovic, 50, and Drago Bosnjak, 54, pleaded not guilty on charges of war crimes against Serb civilians and wartime prisoners in Sisak and Banovina during the war. According to the indictment, 24 persons were killed in this area while many civilians were illegally arrested, tortured and abused. Tanjug

Ex-Croat minister: Civilians were executed as enemies

"Did we or did we not kill somebody? Yes we did! You cannot win a war without killing the enemy," he told the court.

The former minister further explained that the wartime authorities in Croatia "had a great problem to recognize who were the so-called civilians among the enemies", the Banja Luka-based daily Nezavisne Novine reported.

“Is a civilian someone who dresses like that but has hidden intentions and hostility?,” Vekić asked, adding that “if needed such people were executed”. But he did not clarify how the authorities detected that a Serb civilian had "hostile intentions".

"If need be - such people were liquidated. We had to do it," he went on, and reiterated his arguments about "the 5th column" and "aggression". "There was a war - and as for what's permitted and what isn't in a war - that's another story."

A small number of witnesses who dared to publicly speak about the circumstances surrounding these crimes said during the hearing that persons in uniforms and balaclavas abducted Serbs in Sisak in the streets and at working places, or broke into their homes during the night or curfew, and kidnapped them.

Vladimir Milanković, 50, and Drago Bošnjak, 54, pleaded not guilty on charges of war crimes against Serb civilians and wartime prisoners in Sisak and Banovina during the war.

According to the indictment, 24 persons were killed in this area while many civilians were illegally arrested, tortured and abused.

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