Four War-Crimes Suspects Arrested

Acting on a warrant issued by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, with support from members of the Special Support Unit, has arrested four people suspected of participating in war crimes against civilians and war crimes against prisoners-of-war. The arrests took place in several towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Nedzad Hodzic, also known as John Wayne, Mensur Memic, known as Menta, Dzevad Salcin, known as Struja, and Senad Hakalovic, were arrested. All are former members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The suspects have been handed over to the State Prosecution, which will question them and decide whether to file custody order motions.

The four men are suspected of taking part in an attack against and murder of Croats in Trusina village in Konjic Municipality, Herzegovina, on April 16, 1993.

As stated in the announcement issued by the Prosecution, members of the Special Purposes Squad of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as “Zulfikar”, and the 45th Mountain Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, known as “Neretvice”, conducted the attack on the village.

During the attack, members of these units killed 19 and wounded four civilians, including two children aged two and four. On the same day three members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, who had previously surrendered, were killed.

SIPA also searched 17 locations, as there were grounds for suspicion that evidence related to some of the crimes might be found at these locations.

Media reported that the apartment of Sefer Halilovic, a former general with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was among the locations that were searched. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, acquitted Halilovic of charges that he participated in crimes committed in Grabovica and Uzdol villages during the “Neretva 93” military operation.

Media reports suggest that, following the search of Halilovic’s apartment, documents related to the crimes committed in Trusina were seized.