Mato Martic Pleads not Guilty

The indictment alleges that, on July 9, 1993 Martic, who was accompanied by another HVO soldier, escorted a group of about ten captured members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina from a school building in Perkovici, Zepce municipality, to the HVO’s combat lines, where they were supposed to fix the combat lines, and forced them to crawl through mud, water and thorny shrubs, while beating and insulting them.
 
According to the charges, when they arrived to the frontlines, fire was opened towards them, so the captives lied down and crawled back out of fear for their lives.
 
“Martic took an automatic gun with a grenade firing extension, ordered them to stand up and began shooting at them. He wounded two captives, but he did not allow anyone to help them, threatening that he would fire a grenade, until another HVO soldier came and helped them by transporting them to a dispensary in Perkovici,” the indictment alleges.
 
It further alleges that, in July 1993 Martic met a Bosniak civilian, who had been captured before, and began examining and beating him, in Ljeskovice village, Zepce.
 
Considering the fact that Martic pleaded not guilty, his trial is due to begin in the coming period.