INDICTMENT ISSUED AGAINST 3 PERSONS FOR WAR CRIMES

The Prosecutor of the Special Department for War Crimes within the Prosecutor's Office of BiH issued an indictment against three persons charging them with war crimes against Bosniaks in Kalinovik.

The indictment was issued against the following persons:

-       Marinko Bjelica, born on March 6,  1946 in Vrbovnik a place located in Trnovo municipality, where he resides, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

-      Zoran Bjelica, born on Februaru 3,  1966 in Vrbovnik a place located in Trnovo municipality, where he resides, with prior convictions, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina and

-      Tripković Novica aka "VOJVODA", born on January 13, 1947 in Vratkovići a place located in Gacko municipality, with prior convictions, citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The accused are charged to have, during the war in RBH,  as members of the Army of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during August 1992 in the Elementary School "Miladin Radojević" in Kalinovik, acted contrary to the rules of international humanitarian law, thereby violating the provisions of Article 3 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of August 12, 1949.

The indictment alleges that the accused persons came armed with automatic rifles to the premises of ES "Miladin Radojević" in Kalinovik, where the Bosniak civilians were incarcerated, and have, despite the opposition of the guards who were guarding the detained civilians, participated in the killings and intentional infliction of severe physical or mental pain or suffering (torture) and other inhumane treatment of the civilian population, which resulted in the death of four persons.

As further alleged in the indictment, the members of the Public Security Station in Kalinovik have together with members of the Army of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Kalinovik organized that the bodies of civilians killed be wrapped in blankets and taken to Graiseljsko polje in Kalinovik Municipality. The remains of three were exhumed and identified in 2009 as those belonging to Saud Hasanbegović, Sejdo Keša and Edin Bičo, while the body of Hašm Hatić has not been found to date and he is still listed as a missing person.

The accused are charged with the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article 173, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph c) of the CC BiH, in conjunction with Article 180, Paragraph 1 and Article 29 of the same Code.

The indictment, along with supporting evidence, was forwarded to the Court of BiH for confirmation.