INDICTMENT ISSUED AGAINST TWO PERSONS FOR WAR CRIMES COMMITTED IN KONJIC

The accused persons are charged with the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article 173 of the CC BiH.

A Prosecutor of the Special Department for War Crimes within the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH issued an indictment against the following persons:

- Ramo Žilić, born on October 12, 1953 in Tušila a place located in Trnovo municipality, residing in Konjic, BiH citizen, and

- Esad Gakić, born on May 8, 1957 in Gakići a place located in Konjic municipality, where he resides, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The accused are charged with having acted contrary to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War,  during the armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina while acting in their capacities as members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They are charged with inhumane treatment of prisoners in the elementary school "Musala" - Konjic municipality, where ethnic Croat and Serb prisoners were incarcerated,  and with causing immense suffering or violation of bodily integrity or health, as well as outrages upon personal dignity.

The accused are charged with having repeatedly tortured, beaten and, abused in extremely humiliating ways several ethnic Croat and Serb prisoners during 1993 and 1994.

The indictment alleges that the accused persons have personally inflicted serious bodily injuries to victims which have left lasting consequences and physical damage to the victims and that they have sexually abused and humiliated prisoners.

Various objects were used to inflict injuries to prisoners, cigarettes were being extinguished on their bodies and they were tortured with red-hot objects.

Consequently, 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 29, all in conjunction with Article 180, Paragraph 1 of the same Code.

The indictment was forwarded to the Court of BiH for confirmation.