Zulfikar Alispago Ordered Into Custody

“The Court has also determined there are some extraordinary circumstances, because this crime can be punished by a ten-year prison sentence or longer. The crime is particularly grave in terms of the way in which it was committed and the consequences. Releasing the suspect would result in a real threat to public order,” the State Court’s decision says.

Alispago, former Commander of the “Zulfikar” Special Purposes Squad with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is suspected of having failed to undertake “necessary and reasonable measures” in order to punish members of his unit who conducted an attack on Trusina village on April 16, 1993, when 19 civilians and three members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, were killed.

The suspect was arrested on February 1. As per the Court’s decision he may be held in custody until March 1, 2010.

Nihad Bojadzic, Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin and Senad Hakalovic are in custody on suspicion that they participated in this crime, while suspects Jusuf Hadzajlija and Nedzad Hodzic are at liberty, with certain prohibiting measures ordered against them.

Rasema Handanovic and Edin Dzeko, who are suspected of the same crime, are reported in the media to have been arrested in the US.