Novak Djukic still in custody
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The State Court has not rendered a decision concerning the motion filed by Novak Djukic’s Defence, in which it asked for his release on bail, although three weeks have now passed since the proposal was made.
“Three weeks have passed, but we still do not have an answer. We do not know if it will be affirmative or negative. This is beyond all deadlines – both the legal and reasonable ones,” Djukic’s main attorney, Nebojsa Pantic, told Justice Report.
The Prosecution charges Djukic, as commander of the Ozren Tactical Group with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, with having ordered the shelling of Tuzla on May 25, 1995, when 71 persons were killed and more than 200 people were wounded in this town. He was arrested in early November 2007. He has been held in custody since then.
The hearing at which Pantic filed the motion, requesting the release of the indictee on bail, was held on September 11. He said that the apartment, in which Djukic’s family lived, as well as an apartment belonging to a friend of his, would be used as a guarantee that he would not escape.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina objected the proposal. Representatives of Tuzla victims objected as well. Two days after the motion was filed, they organised public protests, calling upon the Court not to release Djukic.
“We should not forget that, out of eight persons, suspected of having committed the crime at Kapija, Novak Djukic is the only one who had been arrested. Thanks to the fact that they have dual citizen ships, all others have managed to escape to other countries. It is clear that the two apartments offered by Djukic cannot be a guarantee that he will not try to do what the seven other suspects did already,” the joint announcement, issued by the Civil War Victims Commission, Municipal Council and Tuzla Mayor indicates.
The Commission representatives consider that the indictee filed the custody termination motion “in an intention to flee from the country”.
“We all know that all those who were allowed to defend themselves while at liberty ran away to other countries. If the same thing happens in Djukic’s case, the Kapija case will be locked and no one will be held responsible for it,” Hilmija Bucuk, the President of the Commission, considers.
