Two Months Custody for Nihad Bojadzic

As per the Court’s decision, the former member of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina will remain in custody until February 3, 2010.

The State Prosecution suspects that Bojadzic, former Deputy Commander of the Zulfikar Special Purposes Squad with the General Headquarters of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, participated in an attack on Trusin village, in Konjic Municipality, on April 16, 1993, when 22 people, including 19 Croat civilians and three members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, were killed.

The State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, arrested the suspect on November 4, 2009. He has been held in custody since then.

Following his arrest, the Prosecution asked the Court to keep Bojadzic in custody because “for some time already” he had interfered with the investigation and threatened witnesses, investigators and the Prosecutor, also saying that the Prosecution considered the suspect to be a dangerous and influential person.

The public was excluded from the custody extension hearing, held on December 3, because, as stated by Prosecutor Vesna Budimir, “large exposure of this case in the media represents a threat to the Prosecution”.

Nedzad Hodzic, known as John Wayne, Mensur Memic, known as Menta, Dzevad Salcin, known as Struja, and Senad Hakalovic were arrested in September this year on suspicion that they participated in the attack on Trusina village. They have been held in custody since their arrest.

The four men were members of the Special Purposes Squad with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as Zulfikar, and the 45th Mountain Brigade with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, called Neretvica.