Custody and Travel Bans Proposed for Jasarevic and Velagic

Bosnia’s state prosecution has requested custody measures for Muamir Jasarevic and prohibitive measures for Sead Velagic, both suspected of crimes against civilians in Livno.

Jasarevic’s defense attorney Bajro Cilic objected to custody measures for his client, proposing that the court order prohibitive measures instead.

The prosecution did not accept Cilic’s proposal, and requested one month of custody due to the possibility that Jasarevic might flee the country.

Prosecutor Lejla Konjic said that Jasarevic has Croatian citizenship and that he went to Croatia during the investigation phase of the case.

“These are realistic indications that he might do it again. Hence, we request custody measures,” Konjic said.

Cilic said that there was no evidence to support that Jasarevic hadn’t responded to invitations to cooperate with the investigation, and that he had travelled to Croatia for medical reasons.

“I did travel to Croatia, but it was because of a severe disease. I underwent a surgery. My brother lives in that country. My daughter attends school there as well. I registered a place of residence in that country due to my medical treatment,” Jasarevic said. He said had no intention to flee the country.

Jasarevic and Velagic, former military police officers with the Croatian Defence Council, are charged with the detainment, torture, killing, and persecution of the Serb population in the Livno area from April 1992-July 1993. Both suspects were arrested on February 17.

The prosecution alleges that the suspects participated in a joint criminal enterprise aimed at resettling the Bosnian Serb population from the Livno area and its surroundings, as well as abusing, persecuting, and detaining approximately 300 people at the Ivan Goran Kovacic school in Livno.

The prosecution alleges that Bosnian Serb victims were held in inhumane conditions, and were also subjected to threats, torture, and murder.

With regards to Velagic, the prosecution proposed that the court ban him from traveling, using his personal identification card, and from meeting witnesses and suspected accomplices.

“The prosecution considers that his presence can be ensured by prohibitive measures, confiscation of his travel documents, and restricting his movement outside of Sarajevo,” Konjic said.

The defense did not object to this proposal, but proposed that the suspect be ordered to report to the police station once a month, instead of once a week. The prosecution accepted the defense’s proposal.

The state court will render its decision regarding the prosecution’s proposal at a later stage.