News
INDICTMENT ISSUED AGAINST 5 PERSONS FOR WAR CRIMES COMMITTED IN MOSTAR AREA
17.09.2014. 13:00The accused are charged with having acted contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War in Mostar area in 1993, during the course of war in BIH and the conflict between the Army of BiH and HVO while acting in their capacities as members of the Army of BiH.
They are charged with war crimes committed against more than a hundred Croat victims including a large number of children, women, elderly persons as well as women in the advanced stage of pregnancy, who were all incarcerated in prison facilities in a place known as Potoci.
The indictment alleges that during their illegal incarceration the prisoners were tortured, beaten, abused, held in inhumane conditions, starved, forced to suffer inflictions of severe physical and mental injuries that have left lasting effects on the health of the victims; they were used as human shields and forced to work during the course of which several persons were killed.
The accused are charged with the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article 173 of the CC BiH.
Along with the indictment, the Prosecutor submitted a proposed list of more than 40 prosecution witnesses and included more than 250 exhibits.
The indictment was forwarded to the Court of BiH for confirmation.
This announcement does not prejudice the outcome of the criminal proceedings and does not violate the principle of the presumption of innocence. A person shall be considered innocent of a crime until guilt has been established by a final verdict (Article 3, paragraph 1 of the CPC BiH).