Selimovic et al: New Indictment Against Bosnian Army Members

On April 27 the State Court confirmed an indictment against three former members of the Fifth Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina for their participation in crimes committed in the Bihac, Cazin and Bosanska Krupa areas.

The confirmed indictment charges Mehur Selimovic, Adil Ruznic and Emir Mustafic with having aided and abetted in the detention of members of the military and police forces of Republika Srpska and civilians in detention centers in Bihac, Cazin and Bosanski Petrovac in the period from February 1994 to February 1996.

The indictment alleges that Selimovic was intelligence affairs officer, operations officer and deputy chief of the Military Security Service Section with the Fifth Corps of the Bosnian Army, while Ruznic was assistant commander for security affairs and operational officer with the same Section.

The indictment further alleges that Mustafic was a member of the Military Police Squad with the Fifth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

The Prosecution alleges that prisoners of war and civilians were held in the detention centers in bad conditions, while also being forced to perform hard labour. They were allegedly physically and mentally abused by guards and soldiers, who could freely enter the centers, as well as by the indictees themselves.

The three men “failed to undertake the necessary and reasonable measures in order to prevent and punish their subordinates who abused the detainees”. 

The indictment alleges that Selimovic and Ruznic interrogated prisoners of war on several occasions in October 1995 and 1996, in the Luke detention center, the Park hotel, the hospital, the plastics factory, the Rad car workshop and the “Adil Besic” military barracks in Bihac. It is alleged that they and some other unknown people physically abused those prisoners during interrogation.

The indictment further alleges that between September 1995 and February 1996 Mustafic participated in and helped in the abuse of detainees in the “Adil Besic” barracks by hitting them “with feet, hands and sticks” and intimidating them by “tying ropes around their necks and banging his gun against the table”.  

The Prosecution attached to the indictment the results of its investigation, in which it alleged that the Military Security Section with the Fifth Corps was not directly superior to the Military Police Squad, which “guarded the detention camp”.

It further alleges that the evidence compiled by the Prosecution suggests that the locations where prisoners of war and civilians were held all had the characteristics of detention centers and the three indictees were aware of the actions now charged upon them.

In response to the investigation Selimovic and Ruznic have defended themselves by remaining silent. During the investigation Mustafic presented his defence, alleging that, after having been mobilized, he was “deployed to the Military Police Squad and then to the concentration center for prisoners of war”.

“Mustafic alleges that the Security Officer and Barracks Commander were the most powerful men in the concentration center. He further alleged that he did not have any competencies. He allegedly acted upon orders to take statements from those people and other orders issued by Security Officer Ruznic,” according to the investigation conclusions.

The indictment envisages that the Prosecution will examine more than 60 witnesses and present more than 200 pieces of material evidence.