Local Justice Boljak: Absence of Defence Attorney
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Considering the absence of Milorad Rasevic, Defence attorney of the indictee, who was properly informed but failed to justify his absence, the legal conditions for this hearing have not been met, so the hearing is postponed until Thursday, May 24, said Dalida Burzic, Chairwoman of the Trial Chamber with the Sarajevo Cantonal Court.
She pointed out that Defence attorney Rasevic would be requested to justify his failure to appear at the hearing.
Boljak, former member of the Ilidza Brigade with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, is charged with having stopped a convoy of civilians in Ilidza municipality on May 19, 1992, separated a few men from other convoy passengers and detained them in a truck, where they stayed in inhumane conditions.
In addition, he is charged with having hit a civilian with his hands and legs and confiscated 700 German marks from him, while being accompanied by an unknown soldier.
According to the charges, in 1993 he took about ten persons from the Planjina kuca detention camp in Semizovac, where non-Serb civilians were held, and physically abused them. It is further alleged that those persons were then unlawfully taken to other locations in order to perform forced labour.
In April this year the Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecution filed a second indictment against Boljak, charging him with war crimes against the civilians, because he caused severe bodily injuries and the suffering of one civilian. This case might be merged with the first case against him.
The case will be submitted to an extra-procedural chamber of this Court, which will then render a decision about the eventual merging of these cases, Burzic said.
Boljak was arrested in Eastern Ilidza municipality on October 19, 2011. He has been held in custody since. A.S.
