Icanovic Pleads not Guilty
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The indictment alleges that Icanovic is charged with having killed two prisoners of war, members of the National Defence of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region, and beat other captives with a rifle butt, in the Latica Glavica area, near Velika Kladusa, in late 1994.
According to the charges, Icanovic was Commander of the 505th Brigade with the Fifth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH. The Prosecution of BiH filed the indictment against him in mid September, but the case was referred to judicial authorities in Bihac later on.
Icanovic was arrested in late August and released on September 22 under prohibiting measures, including a ban on travelling and home detention.
Defence attorney Ibrahim Kadic said at the hearing today that there was no need for Icanovic to be in home detention considering the fact that his travel documents had been confiscated.
“My client is sick. He is undergoing medical treatment due to a brain cancer and consequences of a car accident. He is prevented from going to hospital due to this measure,” Kadic said.
The Prosecution objected to termination of the prohibiting measures, primarily due to existence of fear that the indictee might flee, given the fact that he also had Croatian citizenship and registered permanent place of residence in Zagreb.
“At this stage of the process the Prosecution is for extension of the prohibiting measures due to the fact that Buzim, where Icanovic lives, is close to the Croatian border,” Prosecutor Merima Mesanovic said.
The Court will render a decision concerning the prohibiting measures at a later stage. The beginning of the trial is due to be scheduled within the next 60 days.
