ICTY: Stanisic and Zupljanin Plead not Guilty

Mico Stanisic and Stojan Zupljanin pleaded not guilty, for the second time, before the Trial Chamber of the Hague Tribunal. The Hague Prosecution charges them with crimes against humanity and violations of laws and practices of warfare on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Stanisic entered his plea for the first time in March 2005, while Zupljanin did the same in June three years later.

In late September 2008 the Trial Chamber accepted the Prosecution’s case for merging the motion. Consequently, the two indictees entered their pleas as per a joint indictment at the hearing held on November 20.

“I plead not guilty to these counts in the indictment, as well as to all other counts, for which I entered my plea previously,” Stojan Zupljanin said.

Mico Stanisic entered his plea via video link from Belgrade, because he has been temporarily released.

The indictment charges them with murder, forcible resettlements, dislodging and deportation committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the course of the war, conducted from 1992 to 1995.

In the referenced period of time Stanisic was Minister of Internal Affairs of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Zupljanin was Chief of the Safety Services Center in Banja Luka, member of the Crisis Committee of the Krajina Autonomous Region and advisor to the Republika Srpska President for internal affairs.

They are charged with having participated in a joint criminal enterprise, together with Radovan Karadzic (who is awaiting the start of his trial at The Hague), Biljana Plavsic (sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment), Momcilo Krajisnik (sentenced, by a first instance verdict, to 27 years) and many other senior Republika Srpska officials.

Stanisic surrendered in March 2005, while Zupljanin was arrested in June 2008, after having been on the run for nine years.