Prosecution Requests Custody Extension for Maric

Prosecutor Sanja Jukic requested the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to order suspect Maric into custody due to a danger that he might flee and influence witnesses or accomplices.

The Prosecutor did not explain the reasons for requesting custody extension in detail, but she said that she had submitted a detailed explanation to the Court in writing.

The Defence objected to the custody extension motion, saying that the conditions for that had not been met.

“The Defence considers that the State Prosecution’s motion is unfounded. We propose to the Court to reject the motion and release the suspect to liberty under prohibiting measures,” said Irena Pehar, Defence attorney of the suspect.

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will render a decision concerning the motion at a later stage.

Maric, former member of the Croatian Defence Council, was arrested on September 4 due to a suspicion that he participated in murders, persecution, torture, forced resettlement, unlawful detention and abuse of Bosniaks from the Prozor-Rama area during 1992 and 1993.

Following his arrest, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ordered one-month custody for him due to a danger that he might flee and influence witnesses or accomplices.

In addition, Maric is suspected of having participated in the murder and forced disappearance of 11 persons. The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina alleges that some of those murders were committed in a brutal manner and that the victims were old and sick people, who were incapable of offering resistance. Bodies of six people have still not been found.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina said that the suspect had been unavailable to Bosnian state judicial institutions for years and that an international warrant had been issued against him.