SO FAR THE MOST EXTENSIVE INDICTMENT OF THE BIH JUDICIARY ISSUED FOR WAR CRIMES COMMITTED IN VLASENICA; FOUR ACCUSED PERSONS CHARGED WITH WAR CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST SEVERAL DOZEN VICTIMS, INCLUDING KILLINGS, UNLAWFUL IMPRISONMENTS AND PERSECUTIONS

Prosecutor of the Special Department for War Crimes of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has issued an Indictment against the following persons:

-  Mane Đurić, born in 1956 in Sanski Most, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

-  Radenko Stanić, born in 1960 in Vlasenica,

- Miroslav Kraljević aka Mićo, born in 1968 in Vlasenica, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

-  Goran Garić, born in 1970 in Vlasenica, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These accused persons are charged with acting in contravention of the provisions of the international humanitarian law and in violation of the Geneva Conventions relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war, during the war and armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1992 and 1993.

The Indictment alleges that, during a widespread and systematic attack on the civilian Bosniak population in the territory of Vlasenica and the surrounding areas, the accused Đurić as the Chief of the Public Security Station in Vlasenica, the accused Stanić as the commander of the Public Security Station in Vlasenica, the accused Kraljević as the commander of the Special Platoon in the Public Security Station in Vlasenica, and the accused Garić as an active member of the Public Security Station in Vlasenica, committed the persecution of the Bosniak population on political, national, cultural and religious grounds.

The Indictment encompasses killings and enforced disappearances of at least twenty-two (22) persons, unlawful imprisonments, tortures and mistreatments of dozens of persons in several detention facilities in the area of Vlasenica, looting and destruction of property of the Bosniak population and other crimes that led to the persecution of almost entire Bosniak population from that area by the spring of 1993, of which small number of residents returned to the places of their pre-war residence.

The Indictment alleges that these accused persons personally and directly, together with other members of the army and the police, armed and with a threat of force, were persecuting and finding Bosniak civilians and then taking them from their homes or from other locations to the detention facilities at several locations, including the Sušica camp.

The prisoners were subjected to severe torture, sufferings and mistreatments, as a result of which some of the prisoners even died, whereas a number of prisoners have been missing ever since and their mortal remains have not been found yet. Also, these accused persons are charged with torturing the prisoners in extremely humiliating ways and with forcing the prisoners to engage in humiliating sexual acts among themselves, as well as with other forms of abuse.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina will prove the allegations in this Indictment by summonsing more than 140 witnesses from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, some of whom reside even abroad and overseas, whereas twenty (20) witnesses will give their statements with some of the protection measures assigned to them. Several hundred pieces of material evidence have been enclosed.

The Indictment has been forwarded to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for confirmation.