Former member of the federal State Security Service contends that he saw Jovica Stanisic, chief of the Serbian secret service on two occasions in Knin, at the time when the war broke out in Croatia. A bit later, the witness heard from the villagers near Beli Manastir that units run by Stanisic’s deputy Franko Simatovic were active in that area


Former chief of the Serbian state security service Jovica Stanisic was in Knin when the war broke out in Croatia. At the same time, units run by Stanisic’s deputy, Franko Simatovic, were active in Baranja, claims a prosecution witness giving evidence today before Judge Orie’s Trial Chamber. The witness is testifying under the pseudonym JF-38 with image and voice distortion as protective measures. In March and April 2006, the witness testified at the trial of the former president of the so-called Republic of Serbian Krajina Milan Martic. The transcript of his testimony was admitted into evidence today.

As a member of the State Security Service in the federal SUP, the witness was sent to Knin in May 1991. The Croatian authorities approved it as part of a ‘peace mission’ aimed at reducing the tensions between the Croatian authorities and rebel Serbs. The witness learned then, that Krajina special units were trained on two locations, in the Knin fortress and in the village of Golubici, under the command of Captain Dragan. The defense moved that part of the report drafted by the Croatian police about the situation in Knin mentioning Captain Dragan be dismissed because that name was added later to the report, and this casts doubt on the document’s authenticity. The witness nevertheless confirmed that the content of the document was accurate.

As early as in the summer of 1991, the witness heard about Croats being expelled from Krajina and civilians being detained and maltreated in the Knin police station under the command of Milan Martic. During his stay in Knin, the witness met Martic, whose goal was to have Krajina secede from Croatia and annex it to the union of Serb lands as it was envisioned.

Before he arrived in Knin, the witness attended a meeting with the Croatian authorities in Sibenik; there he heard from the deputy interior minister that the Serbian state security service was ‘present’ in Krajina. The witness saw this for himself when he saw Jovica Stanisic two times there, in May and June 1991, and greeted him. The first encounter was in a restaurant at the Krka River waterfalls and the second one was in front of the police station in Knin.

The witness was sent to a new ‘peace mission’ in August 1991, this time to Eastern Slavonia and Baranja. There was another Serb autonomous region (SAO) in that region. Only the elderly remained in the villages near Beli Manastir, the witness recounted. They told him they were afraid of the paramilitary units. The witness claims the elderly villagers told him that Vuk Draskovic’s White Eagles, Arkan’s Tigers, Chetnik detachments, Badza’s group, ‘Frenki’s men’ and some other units operated in the area. Apart from the information provided by the elderly villager, the witness learned about the activities of special units and paramilitary groups in Eastern Slavonia from other sources, but he spoke about it in closed session.

Stanisic and Simatovic are charged with crimes various units controlled by the Serbian state security service committed in Croatia and BH. As the hearing today drew to a close, Stanisic’s defense counsel Jordash began cross-examining the witness.

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