Justice report: The week ahead

Four war crimes trials are set to continue in front of the Court of BiH next week.

On Tuesday, March 21, the defense will continue its presentation of evidence in the trial of Dragoje Paunovic. The Prosecution has charged Paunovic with crimes against humanity committed on the civilian population of the eastern Bosnian town of Rogatica between May and September of 1992. The trial commenced in October last year. Paunovic has been in detention since March 2005.

On Wednesday, March 23, the defense will start presenting evidence in the case of Boban Simsic. The former policeman from eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad is accused for crimes against humanity and persecution of the civilians. Simsic handed himself over to the authorities in January 2005 when he was taken into custody. His trial has been running since last September and is expected to wind up soon.

Prosecution will continue presenting its case against Radovan Stankovic and Nedjo Samardzic next week, but these trials remain closed to public. Both Stankovic and Samradzic are indicted with crimes against humanity committed, including rape, in the area of Foca between 1992 and 1993. The court’s decision to close the two cases to public has provoked negative reactions in public, as Justice Report wrote in its first issue.