Koricanske stijene: Court confirms indictment

The indictment alleges that the convoy they escorted consisted of more than 16 vehicles, transporting about 1,200 people.

The Prosecution contends that Civcic was a policeman and Commander of the First Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, Ljepoja was a reserve policeman and a member of the First Interventions Squad, and Topola was a guard in Trnopolje detention camp and a member of the Territorial Defence at the time.

The indictment alleges that, upon arrival at Mount Vlasic, Civcic “moved on towards Smetovi”, while Ljepoja and Topola joined the others in “selecting more than 200 men, capable of serving the military”, loaded them into two buses and escorted them to Koricanske stijene.

“…where they ordered the men from one of the buses to come out, escorted them to the edge of the road, just next to a ravine, ordered them to kneel down facing the abyss and started shooting at the line of men using automatic arms…” – the indictment alleges.

The Prosecution alleges that the indictees then took the men from the second bus, shot them and then threw bombs into the ravine.

The trial of six former members of the Interventions Squad, who are charged with the same crime, is underway before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Damir Ivankovic and Gordan Djuric admitted their participation in the murder committed at Koricanske stijene. In mid 2009 they were sentenced to 14 and eight years in prison respectively.

Sasa Zecevic and Radoslav Knezevic, former members of the Police Interventions Squad from Prijedor, are waiting for their trial to begin. They pleaded not guilty at the beginning of August this year.