Bukovica engleski.qxd - Fond za humanitarno pravo

Bukovica engleski.qxd 15.3.2003 13:54 Page 71
8. The Terror Continues
Humanitarian Law Center
Ago Bavčić (born 1947) of Plansko village was beaten a
number of times during 1992, and most severely on 18
February 1993 when he was returning home from
Kovačevići with a local Serb, Milovan Srndović. Bavčić was
leading a pack horse loaded with provisions for his
household: flour, salt, sugar, yeast, matches, pickled peppers.
He parted with Srndović at Varošište village where
the road forks. Srndović went to his own village and
Bavčić stopped to adjust the load on his horse. A militarylooking
vehicle pulled up beside him and about 10 uniformed
men got out. He could not tell if they were soldiers
or police.
They ordered me to unload the horse, lay down weapons
if I had them, and raise my hands in the air. I did everything
they said and gave them the hunting knife I had on
me. One asked where my brother was. I replied that he was
in Peć and that I had received a letter from him a month
ago. I showed them the letter. That’s when they started
beating me. Others started spilling the flour and salt, saying
I was taking it to the Green Berets. I tried to tell them
the provisions were for my household and shouted out to
Milovan. One of them put his hand over my mouth. They
punched and kicked me, hit me with rifles on the head
and whole body. After that they took the belt of my leather
winter coat, tied me with it to the car and went on beating
me. I think they beat me for about half an hour. 92
With his hands tied, Bavčić was pushed into the vehicle
and beaten all the way to Kovačevići where he was told
he could go. Using two thick sticks as crutches, he set
off for his village in the dark. Exhausted, he fell a num-
92 Statement by Ago Bavčić, Goražde, March 2002, HLC documentation.
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