Zeljko Jukic: Not Guilty Plea

“I plead not guilty to all of the charges,” indictee Jukic said, appearing before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to the charges, Jukic, who acted in collaboration with other members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO and Croatian Army, HV, participated in the persecution of Bosniak civilians, murders and forcible disappearances from July to September 1993.

He is charged with having participated in taking of several persons in unknown direction.

The indictment alleges that, on July 6, 1993 Jukic and a group of HVO members participated in an attack against Bosniak civilians in Duge village, Prozor municipality, and killed a 73-year old man, whom he saw in front of his family house.

The State Prosecution alleges that, in mid July 1993 Jukic, who was accompanied by other HVO members, participated in the transport of several hundreds of prisoners from Prozor to Dretelj detention camp, Capljina, where they were mistreated.

In addition, Jukic is charged with having come, together with Vinko Papak and another HVO member, to the Secondary School Center in Prozor on August 3, 1993 and took five prisoners to “Duska kosa” dump. Those prisoners have been missing since.

Under the indictment, Jukic is charged with having forced Bosniak civilians to leave Lapsunj village, Prozor municipality on August 28, 1993 and participated in the disappearance of Kerim Terzic, whose body has still not been found. Besides that, he is charged with having participated in the beating of several men.

Jukic has been held in custody since his arrest at the beginning of November 2011.

The trial of Jukic is due to begin within the next 30 or 60 days.