INDICTMENT ISSUED AGAINST 5 PERSONS FOR CRIMES IN THE AREA OF GORAŽDE AND VIŠEGRAD

The indictment relates to the war crimes committed against Serb prisoners in the course of 1992 and 1993

A prosecutor of the Special Department for War Crimes filed an indictment against:

1. Ćamil Ramić, born in 1960 in Višegrad,
2. Mehmedalija Topalović, born on 4 August 1952 in Višegrad,
3. Himzo Selimović, born on 23 March 1961 in Foča,
4. Ramiz Mićivoda, born in 1969 in Goražde,
5. Mustafa Stovraga, born in 1966 in Čajniče.

The accused are charged that in the course of the war and armed conflict, they, as commanders and members of the TO, RBiH Army and the Ministry of Interior (MUP) in the Goražde and Višegrad areas (Međeđa), acted contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions on the Protection of Prisoners of War.

The war crimes with which the accused are charged relate to the crimes committed against 20 Serb victims and captured VRS members, which were committed in the improvised military prison in Kaoštice, Međeđa, as well as in the detention facilities in the ZOIL building in Goražde.

The indictment alleges that the accused approved and allowed torture, beating, abuse in particularly humiliating ways and causing severe physical and mental injuries to Serb prisoners almost on a daily basis, that they personally took part in the torture and ill-treatment and that they failed to take any measures to prevent the torture and abuse of the prisoners or to punish the perpetrators.

Two prisoners died as a result of abuse and detention, and the body of one of them was thrown into the Drina River and has still not been found.

The accused are charged with the criminal offence of War Crimes against Prisoners of War.

The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH will be proving the allegations from the indictment by calling 100 witnesses and 3 expert witnesses to testify and by tendering several hundreds of pieces of material evidence.

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