Witness recalls Mujahideen abductions

An ex-Bosnian Army member says 50 Serb prisoners captured in Kesten in Sept. 1995 were abducted by Arab fighters. Izet Karahasanovic, former member of the Bosnian Muslim Army’s 328th Brigade, confirmed the defense’s claims, though he was not able to say what unit they had belonged to because he didn’t know whether there had been other groups of foreign fighters in that area other than the El Mujahid Detachment. Witness recalls Mujahideen abductions The defense team of former Bosnian Army General Rasim Delic called Karahasanovic as a witness to the events in the village of Kesten when some fifty Serb soldiers had been captured at the Mount Ozren front line. According to the prosecution, Bosnian Army troops “handed over“ the prisoners to the El Mujahid Detachment. The prisoners went missing and are presumed dead. The defense is trying to prove that the prisoners were “kidnapped“ by some other group of foreign fighters who later took them away. In early September 1995, in the wake of the Bosnian Army Vozuca operations, Karahasanovic was appointed assistant commander of security with the 5th Battalion in the 328th Brigade. He testified that on the day the operation was launched, he was told that a large group of Serb soldiers had been captured by one of his units. He went to the village of Kesten to assume responsibility for the prisoners and wrote down their names. In his words, the unit that had captured them soon left, and only he and a few other Bosnian Army soldiers were left to guard the prisoners. Suddenly a group of some thirty Arab fighters arrived, taking them by surprise. They were “armed,“ yelling and threatening the witness and the other soldiers. Finally, they took over the captives and led them away. During cross-examination, the prosecution cited witness statements previously given to the OTP where he had identified the Arabs in question as members of the El Mujahid Detachment. The witness claimed that the investigator who had interviewed him had insisted on mentioning the El Mujahid Detachment. The witness agreed with him because he had not been aware of any other groups of foreign fighters operating in the area. “We thought that all the Arabs were members of the El Mujahid Detachment,“ he said. In his description of the group that “abducted“ the prisoners, the witness said that they had not been wearing typical military insignia, but rather traditional Arab white clothes, had long beards and wore caps. ‘They looked anything but soldiers’, the witness recalled. Karahasanovic said that he had reported the “forcible abduction“ of the captives to his superiors, and put their names on a list. However, he could not explain why the 328th Brigade combat report had said that the members of the El Mujahid Detachment had simply “taken over“ the prisoners. The report signed by Fuad Zilkic, commander of the 328th Brigade, makes no mention of a kidnapping or forcible takeover of the prisoners. “In my report, I stated that the captives had been taken away by force,“ the witness insisted. Several prosecution witnesses testified to the “abduction“ of some fifty Serb captives in the village of Kesten on September 10, 1993, as well as the kidnap of three women by a group of foreign fighters. One of these was Fuad Zilkic, commander of the 328th Brigade, and Karahasanovic’s immediate superior, Ahmet Sehic, commander of the brigade’s 5th Battalion.

Witness recalls Mujahideen abductions

The defense team of former Bosnian Army General Rasim Delić called Karahasanović as a witness to the events in the village of Kesten when some fifty Serb soldiers had been captured at the Mount Ozren front line.

According to the prosecution, Bosnian Army troops “handed over“ the prisoners to the El Mujahid Detachment. The prisoners went missing and are presumed dead. The defense is trying to prove that the prisoners were “kidnapped“ by some other group of foreign fighters who later took them away.

In early September 1995, in the wake of the Bosnian Army Vozuca operations, Karahasanović was appointed assistant commander of security with the 5th Battalion in the 328th Brigade. He testified that on the day the operation was launched, he was told that a large group of Serb soldiers had been captured by one of his units.

He went to the village of Kesten to assume responsibility for the prisoners and wrote down their names. In his words, the unit that had captured them soon left, and only he and a few other Bosnian Army soldiers were left to guard the prisoners.

Suddenly a group of some thirty Arab fighters arrived, taking them by surprise. They were “armed,“ yelling and threatening the witness and the other soldiers. Finally, they took over the captives and led them away.

During cross-examination, the prosecution cited witness statements previously given to the OTP where he had identified the Arabs in question as members of the El Mujahid Detachment. The witness claimed that the investigator who had interviewed him had insisted on mentioning the El Mujahid Detachment.

The witness agreed with him because he had not been aware of any other groups of foreign fighters operating in the area.

“We thought that all the Arabs were members of the El Mujahid Detachment,“ he said. In his description of the group that “abducted“ the prisoners, the witness said that they had not been wearing typical military insignia, but rather traditional Arab white clothes, had long beards and wore caps. ‘They looked anything but soldiers’, the witness recalled.

Karahasanović said that he had reported the “forcible abduction“ of the captives to his superiors, and put their names on a list. However, he could not explain why the 328th Brigade combat report had said that the members of the El Mujahid Detachment had simply “taken over“ the prisoners.

The report signed by Fuad Zilkić, commander of the 328th Brigade, makes no mention of a kidnapping or forcible takeover of the prisoners. “In my report, I stated that the captives had been taken away by force,“ the witness insisted.

Several prosecution witnesses testified to the “abduction“ of some fifty Serb captives in the village of Kesten on September 10, 1993, as well as the kidnap of three women by a group of foreign fighters. One of these was Fuad Zilkić, commander of the 328th Brigade, and Karahasanović’s immediate superior, Ahmet Sehić, commander of the brigade’s 5th Battalion.