Custody for Four Suspects Requested

Prosecutor Stanko Blagic said that he filed the custody order motion due to the existence of a fear that the suspects might influence witnesses. He further said that the suspects and witnesses knew each other and that he would examine four more witnesses in the upcoming period.

The Defence objected to this proposal, requesting that the suspects, who were arrested on Tuesday, August 19, be released to liberty under prohibiting measures. The Defence attorneys said that the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH, did not present any concrete arguments about its reasons for filing the custody order motion.

“In this case there are no reasons even for ordering prohibiting measures,” said Lejla Covic, Defence attorney of Kreso.

The Court of BiH will render its decision at a later stage.

Curic, Demirovic, Kreso and Copelj, former members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, are suspected of having committed crimes in the Potoci area, Mostar municipality, and that they participated in arrests of Croats, as well as torture of those people in “Omorikine” and “Skenderine” buildings, as well as a school building in Potoci.

Another person was arrested on the same occasion, but the Prosecutor decided not to file a custody order motion for him.

Suspect Copelj was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison for having committed crimes in Mostar in 1993. During the hearing he said that he had served his sentence.