Custody for Tarcin Crimes Suspects Requested

According to State Prosecutor Marjan Pogacnik, the custody measure is needed due to the existence of a fear that, by staying at liberty, the suspects may influence witnesses and public order may be disturbed. The Defence of the eight suspects objected to the motion. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will render its decision at a later stage.

Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic,Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember were arrested, as per a warrant issued by the State Prosecution, on November 22 this year due to suspicions that they participated in crimes in the Tarcin area in the period from 1992 to 1995.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina alleges that Mustafa Djelilovic was President of Hadzici Municipal Assembly and, at the same time, President of the Crisis Committee and wartime Presidency of Hadzici municipality, Fadil Covic was Chief of the Public Safety Station, PSS in Hadzici and Mirsad Sabic was a policeman with the PSS in Hadzici.

Besides them, Nezir Kazic, former Commander of the Ninth Mountain Brigade with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, Becir Hujic, former Manager of “Silos” detention camp, Halid Covic and Serif Mesanovic, former Deputy Managers of the detention camp, and Nermin Kalember, former guard in that building, are suspected of those same crimes.

Prosecutor Pogacnik said that the eight suspects were members of “a chain of association”, whose aim was to undertake massive, arbitrary and systematic arrests of the Serb population from Pazaric, Hadzici and Tarcin and detain them in the “Silos” detention camp in Tarcin, “9. maj” school building detention facility in Pazaric and detention camp in “Krupa” military barracks hangars.

“This case covers a number of suspects. Their military engagement suggests that they might influence witnesses and accomplices should they be released to liberty,” Pogacnik said.

The Defence of the eight suspects said that the State Prosecution’s motion was “groundless” and “general”, calling on the Court to order prohibiting measures instead of custody.

Binasa Alispahic, Defence attorney of suspect Delilovic, said that her client “was not responsible for the functioning of the detention facilities” during the war.

“The ‘Silos’ temporary prison was formed by the highest levels, which had the authority over that area. It was certainly not a detention camp,” Alispahic said.

The Defence of suspect Fadil Covic said that the investigation of these crimes began in 2005, adding that it was therefore too late for influencing witnesses in any way. Midhat Koco, Defence attorney of Becir Hujic said that he thought that the arrests of these suspects were “politically motivated”, calling on the Court to decline the Prosecution’s motion.