Custody Request for Miroslav Krajisnik
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The court will bring its decision at a later stage.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina proposed the determination of custody for Krajisnik, because of the fear that with his staying at liberty, he could influence witnesses and accomplices and remove or destroy material evidence, while the Defence requested that this proposal should be rejected as unfounded.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina suspects Krajisnik of having committed a crime against humanity, by ordering the killing of ten civilians of Bosniak ethnicity in June 1992.
The State Prosecution considers that Krajisnik participated in the capture and prosecution of a greater number of persons, mostly women and children of Bosniak ethnicity from the areas of the Sarajevo settlements of Nahorevo, Poljine and others.
Explaining the request for custody, prosecutor Munib Halilovic said that, although the Prosecution examined a large number of witnesses, the witnesses who were familiar with the suspect and who can describe his role in best way, have not yet been interrogated.
“The witnesses expressed their fear of testifying, fearing that they will be exposed to danger. It is the matter of witnesses of both Bosniak and Serb ethnicity. Seven witnesses requested protection”, said Halilovic, adding that the suspect held a high military position since 1992.
Prosecutor Halilovic emphasised that all the dead bodies have not yet been found, and that there are grounds for suspicion that the people who were subordinate to the suspect participated in the removal of these bodies.
Veljko Civsa, defence counsel for suspect Krajisnik, requested that proposal of the Prosecution should be dismissed as “completely unfounded”, because, as he said, the request is not adequately explained.
“My client does not know with what evidence the grounds for suspicion is supported, because that evidence was not provided to him. The general condition for custody is not fulfilled. From the evidence that I received, the role of the suspect is not derived, and the special requirement for custody is not fulfilled since it must be concretised that Krajisnik himself tried to influence the witness or the accomplice”, said Civsa.
Krajisnik was arrested in Sokolac, on January 24 this year.
