ICTY: Ljubicic to be tried in Court of BiH

Former Bosnian Croat commander, Pasko Ljubicic, can be tried in front of Sarajevo’s war crimes chamber, the Hague Tribunal’s referral bench decided on Wednesday.

In accordance with its completion strategy the Tribunal decided that all the criteria for a fair trial of Ljubicic in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been met by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The accused has the right to lodge an appeal against the decision in the following two weeks.

Ljubicic, a former commander of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) is accused of war crimes committed in central Bosnian towns of Vitez and Busovaca.

He is charged with crimes against humanity and violation of wartime laws and customs committed over Bosniak civilians in 1993.

The indictment holds him responsible for ten counts of attacks and murder of civilians and five counts of crimes against humanity.

The ICTY indictment states that Ljubicic was a top-ranking HVO Commander in central Bosnia 1993 and that his rank makes him responsible for crimes his troops committed in the area.

According to the charges sheet, hundreds of Bosnian Muslims kept in captivity by HVO forces were beaten, physically and psychologically abused.

Ljubicich as also been charged with crimes committed in the villages of Ahmici, Nadioci, Prici and Santici, where some 100 civilians were killed in April 1993.

Pasko Ljubicic surrendered on November 21, 2001 when he was taken to the The Hague Tribunal’s detention unit in Scheveningen.