INDICTMENT ISSUED FOR WAR CRIMES COMMITTED IN SANSKI MOST AND KLJUČ AREA

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

-        Mićo Praštalo aka Kudra, born in 1945 in Sanski Most, with prior convictions, citizen of BiH.

The accused is charged with having, during the period from May to September 1992, within the widespread and systematic attack of the Republika Srpska Army, Territorial Defense and members of the militia directed against the ethnic Bosniak and Croat civilian population in the municipalities of Sanski Most and Ključ, while acting in his capacity as the commander of RS Army’s 6th battalion of the 6th Sana Brigade, acted contrary to the rules of International Humanitarian Law.

During the course of the attack civilian facilities were shelled, the population expelled from their homes that were set on fire and looted, and the expelled civilians were taken to places where they were collected and separated, and then imprisoned in formed prison facilities in Sanski Most and Ključ where the men were imprisoned and subjected to physical and psychological abuse, and a large number of prisoners were transported to the Manjača camp on Manjača.

The accused is charged with Crimes against Humanity committed by persecution of the ethnic Bosniak and Croat civilian population on national, ethnic and religious grounds, by way of ordering, executing and knowing but failing to prevent or punish the killings and severe deprivation of liberty for civilians from the village of Hrustovo in the municipality Sanski Most and the village of Sanica, in the municipality Ključ.

In the attacks on these villages 6 persons were killed and a large number of victims were imprisoned. The attacks resulted in persecution of the entire ethnic Bosniak and Croat population from the area.

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