On May 1-2, 1995, the Croatian Army troops launched a strong attack on the Okučani-Stara Gradiška road nearby Novi Varoš to cut off the refugee column, comprised of Serb civilian population of Western Slavonija, withdrawing from the Croatian Army attack. The refugee column was moving from Okučani and heading toward Stara Gradiška and the Sava river, planning to cross over the bridge near Gradiška into the territory of the Republic of Srpska (RS).

On that occasion, members of the Croatian Army relentlessly killed Serb people in the column, most of whom were women, children and elderly, moving by moto-cars, tractors, animal-drawn carts, riding on bicycles and going on foot.

Hundreds of corpses, whose number has yet to be established, and car wrecks were left along the road. For days Croatian authorities were removing and burning bodies and car wrecks whose smell carried by the wind was felt on the opposite bank of the Sava river in the territory of the Republic of Srpska. It was only after the traces had been washed from the road that Croatian authorities granted representatives of international organizations and UNPROFOR access to that area.

Testimonies given by numerous eye-witnesses (now living as refugees in FR Yugoslavia and RS) to the examining magistrates in FR Yugoslavia and RS, bear witness to suffering of Serb civilians from that refugee column.

Among others, the following persons were also killed during that attack:

16. Nikola Stanić,

17. Željko Lauroš, from Okučani,

Only excerpts from a smaller number of testimonies deposited by witnesses: are presented here.

Witness 628/95-11 stated:

"... I took my tractor and trailer at Okučani, collected the most essential personal effects and together with my neighbour joined the refugee convoy which was moving from Okučani toward Bosanska Gradiška.

The convoy set out to break through at around 05.00 hrs in the morning.

The Croatian Army, deployed near Novi Varoš in the Prašnik Forest, which is some 50 m away from the road, opened fire fiercely from small arms and heavy weapons at the civilian convoy. There were heavy civilian casualties. Vehicles went up in flames. The breakthrough lasted for a total of 8 hours along an around 4-meter-long stretch of road near the Strug canal.

The convoy often had to stop, and when the attackers were pushed back, it would resume its journey. I sighted a very large number of civilian corpses along the road; the vehicles which continued their breakthrough sometimes had to pass over them.

As a rough rule of thumb, we left behind between 400 and 450 dead civilians on that road.

When we crossed the Strug canal en route to the Sava river, we repeatedly came under Croatian Army shelling ..."

Witness 628/95-1 stated the following:

".. When at around 20.00 hrs. on May 1, 1995, the Croatian Army cut off the road from Okučani to Nova Gradiška nearby Novi Varoš, the line used by Serb refugees who were coming from the direction of Okučani, I sighted at the place called Pustara a yellow Mercedes with Okučani registration plates coming from the direction of Okučani and heading toward Nova Gradiška.There were 5 passengers in it.

I saw two Croatian soldiers intercept the car and order the driver to pull over. I clearly overheard them talk and one of them shouted: ¢ Come here, you have five Serbs here, slaughter them'. He was probably calling one of his friends who were standing by the road. Soon after that five Croat soldiers rushed onto the road, stopped near the car and started shooting at the passengers with automatic rifles until they used up all of their ammunition.

Having killed all passengers in that car, they pushed the car off the road and into the canal on the right. The shot down passengers had remained in the car..."

Witness 654/95-5 stated:

"... The aggression by the Croatian armed forces on Western Slavonia was launched on May 1, 1995. On that day the evacuation of civilians from Okučani to Gradiška was organized. I was engaged in the discharge of this task as well. I transported women and children by my bus and completed four rounds on that day. Bus drivers L. N., R. M., and M. Č. were also engaged in the execution of this task.

I completed the last round at around 21.30 hrs.

Although the Okučani-Gradiška section was persistently being shelled and bombed by Croatian aircraft during our previous rounds, we nevertheless managed to break through without apparent damage.

A column of motor-cars, tractors and trucks was also moving along this road from Okučani toward Gradiška.

At around 21.30 hrs I set out to Gradiška with a busload of women and children. My bus was followed by another one driven by M. Č. They shelled our buses on this occasion as well. For the first time on that day, however, my bus came under small arms fire opened by persons in houses and in yards along the road, as well as from the nearby Prašnik forest, when we reached the approximately 500 m long section of the road stretching from the middle of the village of Novi Varoš to the bridge over the Strug. In response to this, I speeded up and managed to reach the other side of the Strug canal without any damage.

Passing through the mentioned part of the village of Novi Varoš, I saw them shoot at a "Zastava 101" which swerved to the right and crashed against a gate as well as a "Zastava 750" which was also shot at from small arms. It swerved to the right and crashed against a house by the road. I could not make out what was happening with the passengers in those two cars because it was dark and I dared not reduce speed. I saw in front of me a tractor with an old man at the wheel and pulling a trailer with several civilians on it. I saw them shoot the old man down with a rifle from a yard on the left-hand side of the road. When the old man fell to the right of the steering wheel, the tractor swerved to the right, hit against a pole and then turned over. As far as I could see, the civilians remained on the road but I did not see what happened to them after that..."

Witness 654/95-2 stated:

"... At around 05.15 hrs. in the morning on May 2, I left Okučani by truck for the Sava river. I went via the village of Novi Varoš even though shooting could be heard coming from that direction overnight and in the morning. When I was about to enter the village of Novi Varoš, I heard the distinctive sound of Singapore rifles from both sides of the road. I heard bullets whizzing above the truck. At the entrance to the village I saw a tractor with things scattered around (bedlinen, dishes and other) and a motionless man over the wheel. When I got into the village I saw a large number of tractors and passenger cars and dead bodies around them.

As those in the houses on the left side of the road in the direction of the Sava kept increasingly firing at my truck, I speeded up. To avoid having to drive over dead bodies, I had to leave the road and drive along the pavement and the foot path on the right instead. This is how I managed to pass through the village without stopping and how I got out of the village of Novi Varoš without being hit.

In view of the situation that I was in, I could not give any estimate as to the number of Serbs killed along the road through Novi Varoš. I saw the following among the killed: Ignjatije Odlović from Benkovac, a person whose nickname was ¢ Šuber¢ from Okučani, and ¢ Migel¢ , a private retailer from Bodegraj.

On my way from Okučani to Gradiška I passed by the UNPROFOR points at the place known as Pustara, near the exit from Novi Varoš, as well as by the point at the very exit from Novi Varoš in the direction of Gradiška. I did not see any Blue Helmets in those places. The points were completely vacated..."

Witness 654/95-4 who was in the vicinity of Benkovac on May 1 also stated the following:

"Around noon I sighted a plane, probably a MiG. It was coming in from the south and heading toward Pakrac and when it was between Rađenovac and Bijela Stena, over a place known as Tromedja, I saw it drop bombs which exploded immediately and I heard a strong detonation. I later heard that at the place called Tromeđa near Bijela Stena there were a convoy of 400 civilians who were bombed by that plane and that great many were killed as a result.

I set out from Okučani to the Sava river at around 21.00 hrs. I was riding a bicycle. Throughout my ride shells were falling in the immediate vicinity of the road along which the convoy was moving. Most of the vehicles were moving with their headlights on.

At the entrance to the village of Novi Varoš I sighted a small tractor make ¢ Fergusson¢ which had hit a pole by the road and the bodies of an elderly man and a woman nearby. Not very far from there I saw a tractor make ¢ Ursuz¢ turned over in a ditch with the bodies of a man and a woman near it; a dark blue passenger car make ¢ Jugo 45¢ , with 3 dead bodies inside; a white ¢ Mercedes 300¢ which had hit a pole by the road with two dead men inside. Not very far from there was a motor-car make ¢ Regata¢ and I did not see anyone inside. These motorcars and bodies were scattered over a 50-meter-long stretch of road, and ahead of them, some 100 meters away, I found other means of transport which had stopped and been turned over on the road. There were a number of civilian bodies around as well. I had to pass round those bodies on my bicycle and sought to get away as quickly as possible.

As far as I remember, I saw at least 25 killed civilian bodies. I was able to sight all this, as I mentioned previously, because most of the vehicles were not moving.

When I reached Gradiška, I saw my own car make ¢ Lada Caravan¢ in a street there; it was parked with its headlights on and with its doors open. This surprised me because I knew that I had left my car behind at Benkovac. I soon learnt that the car had been driven from Benkovac to Gradiška by two women R. M. and K. M. who had been wounded in Benkovac; the one that was less seriously wounded drove in it some wounded children to Gradiška. Upon their arrival in this town they went to hospital..."

Witness 654/95-6 stated:

"... In the morning of May 2, I saw that many Serbs had moved out of Okučani in a convoy heading for Gradiška-upon-Sava from which town we received news that Croats kept attacking convoys in the village of Novi Varoš. I heard that there had been many casualties during the previous night's attack on the convoy.

At around 17.50 hrs on May 2, I set out for Gradiška.

At the entrance to the village of Novi Varoš I saw a host of smashed-up passenger cars, tractors and trucks. A large number of killed civilians lay scattered on the road. At the same time, our column was being attacked by Croats who were on the left side of the road in the Prašnik forest in the direction of which we were heading. This is why we were making slow progress and quite often the column had to stop and fight in order to advance. Our progress through Novi Varoš lasted until the following day May 3 so that we only reached Gradiška-upon-Sava at around 19.00 hrs. Throughout that time we often had to stop over and at certain points we were held up for as long as several hours.

I would not be able to give a precise estimate now as to the number of killed civilians at Novi Varoš. Among the killed, I also saw several months old children laying dead near the bodies of their dead mothers. I counted three dead infants near their mothers and there were certainly many more, but I could not bear to look at that sight and sought to avoid paying more attention to them.

While I was thus unable to inspect the victims more closely, I nevertheless recognized among the dead the following persons from the village of Rajić: Branko Bosanac, Simo Kosovac, Ilija Djurašinović, Stevo Pravica, Milan Bajić and Milan Milašinović, and from Bjelovar, Vukašin Tešanović from Banja Luka and a refugee whom I knew by his nickname ¢ Rumeni¢ .

I learnt from N. S. that on May 3 he saw the Croats clearing up the road through Novi Varoš, removing damaged vehicles and burning down dead bodies, and then washing the road..."

Witness 628/95-2 stated:

"...At around 18.00 hrs on May 1, 1995, I decided to get on my tractor and force my way into Gradiška. At Okučani I collected my most essential belongings and gave a ride to my mother, uncle, aunt and my neighbour. When we reached the paytoll on the highway I sighted a shell-hit woman laying on the road. A tractor was parked near a pole on the Dubovac fly-over and there were a dead man near it and a wounded woman. Near the UNPROFOR point, previously manned by the Nepalese battalion, I saw two smashed-up cars and two or three civilian bodies nearby.

I continued to force my way while the road and the nearby area were being showered with shells. Meanwhile, a column had been formed of tractors, trucks and other vehicles which were moving in the same direction as I was. I saw some of those vehicles being hit by shells and even some resulting casualties.

At the entrance to the village of Novi Varoš the Croats intensified their shelling from the direction of the Prašnik Forest. On my way along that road I came across a large number of smashed-up cars and other vehicles as well as across dead bodies.

Near the cafe ¢ Složna braća¢ I sighted several casualties, including Ignjatije Lukić. The same situation was in evidence all over the village of Novi Varoš up to the exit, the demolished bridge over the Strug canal.

I was not in a situation to assess the number of victims I saw by the road. The following day, when we crossed over the Sava river, the Croats killed the following persons who were about to enter Novi Varoš: Milka Kesić, who, having decided to return to Okučani, left Gradiška by car. On the same occasion they also wounded severely T. S..."

Witness 628/95-3 stated:

"... At around 04.00 hrs in the morning on May 2 we left for Gradiška taking the road via the village of Novi Varoš. Civilians were moving on tractors, trucks, cars, and other vehicles, and I and other defenders went on foot. When I arrived at Novi Varoš, I saw a number of dead civilians along the road, smashed-up tractors and cars, i.e. the result of the Croat attack on the civilian convoy which sought to break through on May 1 and 2. While I was moving along this road in a column of civilians, Croatian armed forces fired at us from small arms and artillery weapons from the nearby Prašnik Forest as well as from some houses by the road.

I did not recognize anyone from among the killed ones, but did see in person five bodies whom I had not known before. As far as I could make out, the largest number of civilians had been killed at the place known as Pustara and near the bridge across the Strug..."

Witness 628/95-1 stated:

"... We managed to break through the village of Novi Varoš, and were followed by a column of civilians. During our breakthrough of the village of Novi Varoš, I saw a large number of killed civilians who had sought to break through after 20.00 hrs on May 1. There were some children among them as well.

A large number of trucks and tractors carrying a considerable number of killed civilians stood on the road. I saw an arm of a child hanging from one of the wheels of a burning truck.

After the breakthrough we reached the Strug canal; we were followed by a civilian column which had also come under the Croat attack. There were heavy casualties in this column as well..."

Witness 628/95-10 stated the following on his Novi Varoš breakthrough:

"... During our passage through Novi Varoš in the early morning hours of May 2, we came under most fierce fire from Croatian armed forces. I saw turned over cars, trucks and tractors. As far as I remember, at around 09.00 hrs I reached the last few houses in the village of Novi Varoš en route to Gradiška-upon-Sava. Due to the enemy's fire we were forced to stop and look for a safer shelter. I saw there several civilians who had been shot dead, one of which was a man from Rajić, whose name I do not know. Not far away from that spot I sighted Rade Petković who was running toward the Sava river. I have not seen him since and do not know whether he is alive. Then I was captured, and I had to go on foot in the direction of Okučani. I saw a large number of turned over vehicles along that road, I saw things covered in blood, women's hair fallout, etc., but did not see any corpses along that road. I only saw in a ditch the body of Milan Cicvara from Smrtići, whom I had known previously. I also met Croatian soldiers on the way..."

In his statement witness 618/95-4 said:

"... I set out on a tractor driven by my nephew together with my wife and my mother and his wife and two little children. At Novi Varoš the Croats, who had taken positions in a nearby forest, opened small arms cross-fire at us. This happened, if I remember correctly, after 17.00 hrs. I saw that many people who had been sitting on tractor trailers were shot and fell on the asphalt road, while the younger ones jumped out, took cover near the road and fled in the direction of the Sava river. In this total commotion I saw Jela Vuković from Gređani, born in 1913, who had been wounded and fell from one of the tractors, as she was screaming for help: ¢ Don't leave me here!¢

We passed fast through the village on our tractor and managed to get away unhurt. During our ride, I could only see a little in the total disarray and turmoil, but I did spot at least 15 dead civilians on the asphalt road and a considerable number of casualties staggering by the road and pleading for help..."

Witness 618/95-5 told the investigating judge:

" As soon as we entered the village of Novi Varoš, I saw a large number of civilians killed the night before when they attempted to force their way in the direction of Bosanska Gradiška. The corpses were laying on and by the asphalt road all along its section through the village of Novi Varoš up to the Strug canal. According to my estimate, there could have been over 100 corpses along that section of women, old men and even of children, I think. While we were moving along this section we were sporadically shelled by the Croats. When the civilian column came close enough, Croats opened most fierce fire from their small arms and other weapons from the abandoned village houses and the forest nearby. I was not in a situation to see what was happening behind me in the column, and I later heard that many people had been shot down there.

I found out later on that they shot down in the civilian column Nikola Stanić and Željko Lauroš from Okučani, and that B. R. and M. Lj. were wounded..."

Woman witness 715/95-4 stated:

"...On May 1, 1995, when Croatian Army launched attack against Western Slavonija I was in Okučani. At around 17.00 hrs I took my daughter and other children into my motor-car and drove them to Gradiška. While driving back to Okučani, I saw a long column of Serb people leaving the area of Okučani.

At around 21.00 hrs I had returned to Okučani and because shooting was heard close by I took my relatives into my car and drove them straight away to Gradiška. The column was very long because there were a large number of trailers pulled by tractors, animal-drawn carts and motor-cars. The column was mainly comprised of the old men, old women and children. We were under the most fierce fire along the section of the road stretching from the village of Novi Varoš to the Strug canal. Croatian soldiers were relentlessly shelling the column. People on trailers and tractors were falling from them on the road. Their bodies remained laying by the road or on trailers and animal-drawn carts. Sizeable numbers of killed women, children and old men remained on the road. Those who survived were heading toward the Sava river. Tractors and vehicles, some of which went up in flames, remained on the road as well.

I would not be able to give a precise estimate as to the number of killed Serbs. But, I know that there were a large number of bodies left laying on the road. Fire opened by Croatian soldiers had lethal effects, because they fired from a very close range.

After a while I saw on Croatian television that that section of the road stretching from Okučani to Gradiška was completely clean. However, when I had been moving along that section in a column a few days ago, it had been completely jammed with vehicles and bodies of the killed Serbs. In the meantime, they removed and cleaned all the traces.

The column was also bombed from the air and shelled from artillery.

Two children of my neighbour Gordana Kojić were killed in that column: Nemanja Kojić, 9 years of age, and Dragana Kojić, 7 years of age.

Their mother Gordana who was seriously wounded is presently being treated at the hospital..."

Woman witness 715/95-2 stated:

"... I had lived in Okučani until May 1, 1995, when Croatian Army launched the attack. I set out from Okučani toward the Sava river with my one and a half year old daughter.

When we reached the village of Novi Varoš, half-way from Okučani to Bosanska Gradiška, members of the Croatian Army opened fire at us from artillery and small arms.

There I saw a vehicle hit by a shell which was in flames and covered with blood stains.

Having crossed into the territory of the Republic of Srpska, I remained in the village of Orahovo near Gradiška until August 4, 1995. When Croatian Army attacked Orahovo, I was inflicted two wounds..."

Witness 715/95-3 pointed out in his statement:

"... In the morning hours of May 2, 1995, I was on a tractor moving in a column, which was attacked by Croatian Army soldiers when it reached the village of Novi Varoš.

Along that 3 km long section of the road there were so many killed Serbs that one could pass the whole length of it without once stepping on the ground.

Along that road there were turned over tractors and Croatian soldiers were setting them on fire and killing women and children leaving their bodies laying on the road or by it. I saw Croatian soldiers killing Milan Gajić from the village of Medari and wounding his father in the back.

I saw that M. D. and his son N. A. were inflicted seven wounds.

I was driving a tractor pulling a trailer loaded with wounded people.

I know that scores of Serb corpses were left laying on the road and that Croatian Army collected and piled them, splashed gasoline over them and torched them.

When my wife had heard of the alleged death of our son, she suffered a stroke and died several days after that in the Republic of Srpska..."

Witness 715/95-36 stated:

"... While moving toward the bridge over the Sava river and Gradiška, somewhere in the middle of our progress, I noticed sizeable numbers of turned over tractors, animal-drawn carts, passenger cars, trucks, etc.

While I was moving along the road, I saw scores of corpses of women, children and men on the road and in the canal by the road.

As we advanced further on, the number of destroyed and turned over vehicles and dead bodies considerably increased. The largest number of people had been killed in the area of Novi Varoš, nearby the ¢ Šeik¢ inn.

When I had reached the Strug canal, an aircraft flew over the column and discharged several air bombs, opening machine-gun fire later on.

I am positive that 1,000-1,500 bodies of the killed Serbs were left laying on the road from Okučani to the bridge over the Sava river and Gradiška..."

Woman witness 715/95-33 stated:

"... The column of Serbs heading toward Gradiška was being persistently shelled by Croatian Army from the direction of the Prašnik Forest. Croatian aircraft were flying over the column bombarding it. As a result of bombing scores of Serbs from the column were killed.

The column went on to force its way leaving the dead laying on the road and by it. The road from Okučani, where the column had been formed, to the bridge over the Sava river and Gradiška is 14 km long.

According to my estimate, there could have been 400-500 killed Serbs.

Among the killed there was a large number of women, children and elderly. There were scores of the wounded who could not move on and remained on the road or by it.

At the UNPROFOR point on the bridge over the Sava river, the members of the peace-keeping forces were looking and laughing at the people. It looked as though they took pleasure in watching the Serb people suffer.

While moving toward the bridge over the Sava river, I saw when the following were killed: Branko Vujić, from Bodegraj, municipality of Nova Gradiška, Dušan Ljilak from Lađevac, municipality of Nova Gradiška and great many other people whose names I do not know..."

Woman witness 715/95-8 stated:

"... On May 1, 1995, at around 16.00 hrs, I set out from Okučani to Gradiška. I was driving my motor-car. I caught up with the column of tractors, animal-drawn carts and trucks heading toward the Sava river. At the entrance to the village of Novi Varoš the Croat Army opened fire at the column from the direction of the Prašnik Forest. However, we continued to move on because it was a low-intensity fire.

When we had come close to the Sava river, all of a sudden appeared Croatian aircraft and started bombing the column. Bomb explosions were heard. As a result many vehicles went up in flames and great many refugees were killed. Refugees who came later told us that Croatian Army tanks had run over the Serbs fleeing toward the Sava river. After that Croatian Army soldiers had splashed gasoline over their bodies, torched them and finally washed the road from Novi Varoš to the bridge over the Sava river..."

Woman witness 715/95-34 stated:

"... On May 1, 1995, at around 17.00 hrs, I left Okučani by bus for Gradiška.

We were in the column of vehicles heading toward the Sava river. As a result of fierce shelling of the column from the direction of the Prašnik Forest by Croatian Army a large number of Serbs from the column were killed and their bodies remained scattered all the way long to the bridge over the Sava river.

I know that wife of Dušan Bošnjak from Trnava was killed by Croatian soldiers close to the bridge over the Sava river..."

Witness 439/95-21, a priest of the Serb Orthodox Church, who had chanced to be in his house in Okučani on May 1, 1995, stated in his testimony as follows:

"... On the day of May 1, I took my wife, children and two women from Okučani in my car and drove them to Banja Luka.

Next day, on May 2, at 07.30 hrs, I was on my way back to Okučani. In Gradiška I took in my car Milka Kesić, from Okučani. She sat on my right-hand side seat in front. I crossed the bridge over the Sava river and Strug canal. When I was about to enter the village of Novi Varoš a machine-gun burst was fired at my car from the houses on the right.

Milka Kesić who was shot to death fell on to my side. Although I had nine bullet wounds I continued driving my car until it stopped. Under incessant machine-gun fire I managed to get out of the car and ran for about 200 m toward the village centre where I fell.

Just in front of me I sighted a terrible scene. There were a large number of cars scattered around while scores of dead civilians were laying by them A number of frenzied people were aimlessly moving around vehicles exposed to small arms fire. A large number of vehicles were burning. There were women, children and elderly who managed to find shelter in the houses on both sides of the road.

From a house, some 10 m away from me, a civilian who had taken shelter there came out running to help me. They carried me to a nearby house where I was extended first aid. I do not know for how long I remained laying there. Some civilians in my vicinity managed to carry me to a car and drive me to the Banja Luka hospital.

I am not able to give a precise estimate now as to the number of killed civilians at Novi Varoš. I can also say that there were scores of women, children and elderly. Also, I do not know what has been done with the bodies of the victims that remained at Novi Varoš. Those who came after me were saying that Croats had burnt their bodies.

Among the wounded I saw V. R., M. M., and many others whose names I cannot recall at the moment though I know them well.

Among the killed I recognized Momčilo Dojić, wife of Momčilo Dojić, Ostoja Dejanović and a man named Vukašinović..."

Witness 439/95-14 stated:

"... In the morning of May 2, 1995, we were close to the village of Benkovac. By the road we saw a group of four Croatian soldiers who had blocked the road. We hid in the nearby bushes watching in that direction. I saw when a vehicle drawn by white horses came there. A man and a woman wearing civilian clothes were on it.

More civilians were following them. Croatian soldiers stopped them and I heard voices saying: ¢ Slaughter them. What are you waiting for?¢ Not before long, Croatian soldiers reversed the vehicle drawn by horses in the opposite direction and speeding the horses headed toward Okučani. I saw the man and the woman laying in the vehicle. I suppose that Croatian soldiers had slit their throats because I did not hear any shooting.

We continued forcing our way toward the Sava river. When we were about to enter the village of Lađevac I saw some soldiers in military camouflage climb out of a helicopter nearby the railroad. I also heard them speaking in a foreign language that I did not understand. Having heard another helicopter approaching, we moved on.

While seeking a way to break through the encirclement of Croatian forces to Gradiška, I saw Croats setting houses on fire in the villages of Rajići, Rađanovci, Vrbovljani, Čovac and Gređani. While passing them, those houses were still burning..."

Witness 439/95-8 stated:

"... to render impossible the withdrawal of Serbs toward the bridge over the Sava river at Gradiška, they attacked a refugee column by night on May 1-2.

On May 2, at around 03.00 hrs, I was some 2 km away from the village of Novi Varoš - toward Gradiška. Although I did not see, I heard that many people had been killed. However, I heard screams and moans of the attacked civilians.

At around 09.00 hrs I saw an ambulance vehicle moving from Okučani toward Gradiška. A shell hit it at some 200 m away from me. When the vehicle had stopped small arms fire was opened at it.

Since I knew that my relative Gojko Malešević from Lađevac was at the wheel of the vehicle I headed toward it to see what had happened to him and help him. When I managed to reach the vehicle which had already been in flames I saw three corpses burning. Among them I recognized Dušan Ljiljak, over 70 years of age, from Lađevac.

I did not find Gojko, but I saw blood traces leading from the ambulance vehicle to the woods.

Having arrived at Gradiška, I learnt that Gojko Malešević though seriously wounded managed to escape. Later he was transferred to the Banja Luka hospital..."

Witness 439/95-9 stated:

"... On May 2, in the village of Bobare I met a woman from Trnakovac who told me that the other day, at around 19.00 hrs, Croatian Army soldiers had attacked the truck she had been on. She told me that after launching a "Zolja" missile at the truck, Croatian soldiers had opened close range fire at women and children through the tarpaulin covering the truck.

That woman survived. However, her sister¢ s child whom her sister had held in her lap was shot to death. According to her account, some 40 civilians were on the truck. She fell from the truck and managed to escape. It was her belief that no one on the truck had survived. She told me that the truck make "FAP" had had a yellow tarpaulin...

... From Bobare we headed toward the village of Cage nearby Okučani. Croatian Army had already captured the village. From one of the houses we heard desperate screams of a woman who was shouting ¢ Mitar!¢ Then we heard a Croatian soldier cursing and saying: ¢ Get up!¢ Again we heard screams of the woman and then shooting. After that, we did not hear any more screams.

The night of May 2-3, we spent hidden in the canal running along the road Okučani-Stara Gradiška at the village of Novi Varoš. The canal is some 400 m away from the road. We heard engine humming of a dredging machine on the Okučani-Stara Gradiška road at the village of Novi Varoš. Simultaneously, we heard screams and sporadic shooting. That is why I think that Croatian soldiers were killing wounded civilians who were trying to force their way from Okučani to Gradiška.

At around 23.00 hrs, I felt a very specific smell coming from the direction of the former ¢ Složna braća¢ inn, on the left of the Okučani-Stara Gradiška road - somewhere in the middle of the village of Novi Varoš. That is why I think it was the smell of human bodies. It was a smell familiar to me since I had already happened to come across human bodies burnt shortly before by Croatian soldiers. That is why I am able to recognize that smell.

Not before long, fire and smoke appeared on the road followed by a strong detonation. After that, some excavating machines arrived and carried on some operations.

We remained hidden until dawn waiting for shooting and fire to cease.

In the evening hours of May 3, we managed to cross the Sava river...

In the town, I was told by V. R., B. M., and Z. N. that while they had been withdrawing from Okučani, through the village of Novi Varoš, they had seen scores of killed Serbs laying on the road and by it. They saw them at the very place where I felt that specific smell. They also saw a large number of turned over tractors, motor-cars and trucks at the same place. Proceeding from those facts I concluded that Croats collected corpses by dredging machines, set them on fire and buried them using excavating machines.

They also told me that they had seen Croats washing the road and streets in the village of Novi Varoš. I also saw a cistern on the same road. I could see all that because it was a moonlight night.."

Witness 439/95-10 stated:

"... In the morning of May 2, we were informed that the village of Novi Varoš had been captured by Croatian Army units. The road to Gradiška was thus cut off...

Following our arrival in the village of Novi Varoš I saw scores of killed Serb civilians, turned over tractors, motor-cars and animal-drawn carts on the streets. On the street I also saw a bus that had been completely drilled with bullets. A large number of corpses were laying by it. Those were probably the bodies of passengers who had tried to escape. Streets were covered with blood and corpses.

As far as I could see, which was difficult because it was dark, I saw around 70 killed civilians, women, children and elderly. In view of the fact that I did not stay long there I was not able to recognize anybody among the victims.

... Close to my hiding place, some 5 m away from me, a group of Croatian soldiers killed a wounded man whose name I did not know. He begged them not to harm him telling them that he wanted to surrender. When they had killed him, I heard one of them saying ¢ Damir, run!¢ After that they ran away..."

Witness 439/95-11 stated:

"... On May 1, at around 19.00 hrs, I found myself at the southern part of the village of Novi Varoš. I saw a column of civilian population moving on tractors, animal-drawn carts, bicycles and on foot. The most numerous were the elderly, women and children.

Suddenly Croatian Army troops opened fire at the column moving toward the Strug canal. Some 20 civilians were killed at that place and tractors and animal-drawn carts turned over on the road.

I was some 200 m away from the scene. I saw that civilians who survived ran toward the Strug canal..."

Witness 439/95-12 stated:

"... On May 2, between 07.30 and 08.00 hrs, Croatian Army stopped the head of the refugee column by opening sudden fire. They opened fire from the Prašnik Forest, on the left-hand side of the Okučani-Stara Gradiška road. The forest is some 80-100 m away from the road.

Civilians tried to get out of the vehicles they were driving on. However, the moment they got out they were killed. Some were killed while still on them. Two ambulance vehicles transporting wounded were also moving in the column. Small arms fire was opened at those vehicles as well As a result one of them was demolished.

Stricken with panic civilians from the vehicles started running and managed to reach the right side of the road. Following a relatively deep canal stretching along the road they resumed their advance moving on foot toward Stara Gradiška.

At that moment I found myself in the middle of the column. I was going on foot. When I grasped the situation, I started crawling along the edge of the road.

As a rough rule of thumb, there were some 150-200 dead civilians on that section of the road stretching from the entrance to the exit of the village of Novi Varoš. We that were not hit had no chance of removing the killed and wounded because we were being under incessant fire of the Croatian soldiers. All of us were looking for an opportunity to get away from that place.

Among the killed, I recognized my friend Zoran Vukadinović, born in 1971, from Okučani.

Only at 17.00 hrs did I manage to cross the bridge to Gradiška..."

Witness 439/95-13 stated:

"... When the attack commenced I remained at a place called Kućerine to help the remaining civilians. At around 11.00 hrs my son left by bus heading to Gradiška and at around 14.00 hrs my wife left with a neighbour on his tractor. It took place on May 1.

While breaking through the Croatian Army encirclement we had to pass very close by them. I noticed that there were foreigners among them. I heard clearly that they were speaking in German language which I am familiar with because I had worked in Austria for four years before the outbreak of the war. I also heard some other foreign languages but I did not understand them. I saw those soldiers, constituting the organic elements of the Croatian Army, at the village of Lađevac when they had landed by helicopters at the playground nearby the railroad to ¢ cleanse¢ the village. Those soldiers landed by two helicopters. According to my estimate, there were some 70 soldiers.

Resuming our breakthrough, we reached the place called Benkovac. When I had spotted a group of 5 Croatian soldiers we hid ourselves by the Sloboština river. From our hide-out we saw those soldiers stopping a horse-drawn cart with a man and woman on it. According to my estimate, they were old people. One of the soldiers climbed onto the cart, approached the woman, slit her throat and pushed her down in it. The other soldier did the same with the old man on the cart. After that, soldiers reversed the horse-drawn cart with corpses on it and headed toward Okučani. This happened in the morning of May 2, at around 06.30 hrs. We dared not interfere because a stronger Croatian unit was a few hundred meters away from us watching the scene and approving of the soldiers¢ behaviour who were screaming and shooting in the air while slaughtering those civilians.

In seeking a way to break through and reach the Sava river we passed through a number of villages. We saw some of them. The villages of Rajčići, Rađenovci, Trnakovci, Bijela Stena, Vrbovljani, Čovac and Gređani were burnt down and some houses were still in flames.

In all the villages we heard women screaming by their houses. They probably remained there because they did not want to leave their houses.

We were forced to go back and head again toward the village of Rajići because we did not succeed in by-passing Croatian soldiers. Upon reaching the Jovića river flowing through the village, we hid ourselves under a fly-over.

There we heard a woman quarreling with Croatian soldiers not allowing them to drive away her livestock. I think I know who the woman was because I recognized her voice.

I could also see my house from there. First I heard my dog barking and shortly after that a shot and his whining.

The overall area we crossed could have been some 25 km in diameter. However, while forcing our way we covered a distance of some 150 km in three days. This much we needed to reach the Sava river and cross over it..."

Witness 439/95, the ambulance vehicle driver, stated:

"... On May 2, I was assigned to evacuate an ambulance vehicle to Gradiška. It was a vehicle make TAM 110, marked with a distinctive Red Cross emblem that could have been seen from a great distance. I switched on rotation light.

When I drove the wounded to Gradiška the other day, I had no problems either on my way to Gradiška or back.

I set out from Okučani at around 07.00 hrs.

While passing through the village of Novi Varoš, I saw scores of turned over vehicles on the road and a large number of killed civilians. From the forest on the left-hand side of the road Croatian Army troops opened fierce fire at the vehicle. I moved on passing round numerous corpses and turned over vehicles because I could not stop. The vehicle was under incessant small arms fire. As a result Dušan Ljiljak, sitting next to me, was inflicted a mortal wound and ceased to show any signs of life.

I was also shot in the back and blood started running down my mouth.

Soon the vehicle came to a halt because the engine had stopped working.

Radmilović who had also been in the vehicle was wounded. We laid down by the seats because we could not get out of the vehicle. I think that we remained laying in that position for an hour and a half, i.e., until an artillery shell hit the vehicle. Only when the vehicle started burning did Radmilović and I get out of it.

Meanwhile, the motor-car moving behind my vehicle had been also hit and the two men who got out of it were trying to find shelter under my vehicle. When I came out, I saw that my vehicle had already been in flames, as well as Dušan Ljiljak and the two men.

I managed somehow to reach a small bridge and hide myself.

I would not be able to give a precise estimate now as to the number of killed civilians who were left laying by the road and on the road leading to Novi Varoš. However, I can say that there were scores of them..."

Witness 439/95-18 stated:

"... By night of May 1-2, 1995, at the village of Novi Varoš, the Croatian Army troops cut off the Okučani-Gradiška road along which a Serb refugee column of civilians was moving..

... While passing through the village of Novi Varoš I saw scores of killed civilians in the village itself, as well as at its exit - on the road leading to the Strug canal. According to my estimate there were some 250 victims.

Among the victims I recognized Zoran Vukadinović from Okučani, Milan Milašinović from Rajići, Janko Grubor from Okučani and the daughter of the priest Savo Počuča from Okučani.

In addition to the killed, I also saw a large number of turned over tractors, animal-drawn carts, motor-cars, as well as a number of ambulance vehicles with the Red Cross emblems..."

According to the witnesses’ statements, the following units were implicated in the killing of civilians and other crimes committed during the aggression of the Croatian Army:

1. Helicopter-borne Assault Detachment troops of the Croatian Army,

2. An element of the 2nd Croatian Army Guards Brigade "Gromovi",

3. An element of the Croatian Army Guards Brigade "Kune"

4. An element of the 5th Croatian Army Guards Brigade "Orlovi"

5. Elements of the 125th Home Defence Regiment (Kutina) and others.