Week ahead: Fifteen war-crimes trials due
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On Monday, January 12 the Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will review first-instance verdict appeals in the case of Zeljko Lelek, a former policeman from Visegerad, who was sentenced in May last year to 13 years’ imprisonment for crimes committed in this part of eastern Bosnia in 1992.
Late next week, on January 16, a plea hearing is due to take place in the case of two indictees charged with genocide and the murder of nearly 2,000 Srebrenica residents at the military farm in Branjevo and at Pilica House, in Zvornik Municipality. The Prosecution charges Momir Pelemis and Slavko Perica, former senior officers with the Zvornik Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, with this crime.
On Monday the trial of Rade Veselinovic, a former member of the VRS Military Police Squad, charged with crimes committed in Hadzici Municipality, is schedule to continue. Also on Monday the trial of Ferid Hodzic, a former commander of the Territorial Defence in Vlasenica, who is accused by the State Prosecution of crimes against Serb civilians and prisoners of war, is also scheduled to continue.
On Monday and on Thursday, January 15 the Prosecution is due to continue presenting evidence at the trial of Vinko Kondic, Bosko Lukic and Marko Adamovic, charged with crimes committed in Kljuc Municipality in 1992.
New Prosecution witnesses are due to appear at the trial of Predrag Bastah and Goran Viskovic, scheduled for January 12 and January 16. The former members of the reserve police forces and the VRS are charged with crimes against Bosniaks committed in Vlasenica.
Two trials for genocide in Srebrenica are due to continue next week. Milorad Trbic, former assistant commander for security with the VRS Zvornik Brigade, is due to appear before the Court on January 12. Radomir Vukovic and Zoran Tomic, former members of the Special Police with the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska, are due to appear before the Court the following day.
The trial of Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic is due to take place on January 13 and 15. The Prosecution charges the four former members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, with mistreatment, rape and murder of Bosniaks who were detained in Vojno detention camp near Mostar.
The Prosecution is due to continue presenting evidence against Ratko Bundalo, Nedjo Zeljaja and Djordjislav Askraba on January 13 and 16 and Gojko Klickovic, Jovan Ostojic and Mladen Drljaca on January 13 and 14. The first three men are charged with crimes committed in Kalinovik in 1992 and 1993, while Klickovic and the others are charged with crimes committed in Bosanska Krupa.
Evidence presentation against Miodrag Nikacevic, a former policeman from Foca, who is charged with crimes against humanity, is due to be completed on January 13, when the Defence will present material evidence and the Prosecution will examine additional witnesses.
Nisvet Gasal, Musajb Kukavica, Enes Handzic and Senad Dautovic, who are accused by the Prosecution of crimes against Croat civilians detained in garages and detention camps in Bugojno in 1993 and 1994, are due to appear before the Court on Wednesday, January 14.
On January 15, the Defence of Suljo Karajic is due to continue presenting evidence. The former commander of the Military Police Squad with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina is charged with participation in a number of crimes against prisoners of war and civilians from the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region.
On the same day the Defence is due to start presenting evidence at the trial of Krsto Savic and Milko Mucibabic, charged with crimes committed in eastern Herzegovina. Savic, as former chief of the Safety Services Center in Trebinje, is charged with crimes committed in the Nevesinje, Gacko, Bileca and Kalinovik areas, while Mucibabic, a former policeman, is charged with crimes committed in Nevesinje in 1992.
The trial of Ranko Stankovic and nine other persons, charged with helping Radovan Stankovic escape from Foca prison, is due to start before the Organized Crime Section of the State Court on January 12. Stankovic was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for crimes against humanity committed in Foca in 1992. He escaped from Foca prison on May 25, 2007.
