Custody Extension for Miroslav Krajisnik Requested

Listing reasons for filing the custody extension motion, State Prosecutor Munib Halilovic said that, while staying at liberty, the suspect might influence witnesses and accomplices and destroy, falsify or hide material evidence.The State Prosecution suspects Miroslav Krajisnik of having committed crimes against humanity by killing ten Bosniak civilians in June 1992.Krajisnik is suspected of having participated in the capture and persecution of a large number of persons, mostly Bosniak women and children, from Nahorevo, Poljine and other places in Sarajevo.Explaining the custody extension motion, State Prosecutor Munib Halilovic said that an investigation was conducted against several persons, some of whom were on the run, for the same crimes of which Krajisnik was suspected. One of the persons has already been indicted. The Prosecutor said that there was a possibility to “unite that case with the existing case” eventually.Halilovic said that the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA had already examined about 15 witnesses, but the suspect’s closest associates were still to be examined in the coming period.“We are talking about witnesses, who know what happened during the referenced period of time and what the role of some persons was in those happenings. Also, they have got information about the whereabouts of the bodies of the killed people,” the Prosecutor said.Veljko Civsa, Defence attorney of the suspect, said that no reasons for ordering his client into custody existed.“Custody may be ordered due to the existing reasons, but the danger has to be identified and evidence provided. Generalised formulations have no significance,” Defence attorney Civsa said.He called on the Trial Chamber to order the Prosecutor to provide the Defence attorney of the suspect with copies of evidence and statements, which have been given during the investigation so far. Halilovic responded by saying that he was not obliged to do it, explaining that the witnesses had been examined by the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA and that he did not have the statements with him.Trial Chamber member Davorin Jukic asked the Prosecutor about the possibility of imposing less strict prohibiting measures, but the Prosecutor said that no other measures were adequate in this phase of the process, because, as Halilovic said again, the closest associates were being examined at present.Miroslav Krajisnik told the Trial Chamber that he had absolutely no intention to obstruct the investigation, adding that all of the witnesses were good friends of his.“The truth is my only defence,” the suspect said.M.B.