Extension of Custody for Perisic and Zoranovic Requested

The Bosnian state prosecution requested that custody measures for Bozidar Perisic and Vinko Zoranovic be extended. Perisic and Zoranovic are suspected of war crimes in the Rogatica area in 1992. The defense teams objected to the state prosecution’s motion to extend custody measures.

Prosecutor Ivan Matesic proposed a one month extension of custody measures in order to examine five or six more witnesses.

“Should they be released to liberty, they might influence the witnesses…it would probably be impossible for the prosecution to complete the investigation,” Matesic explained.

Perisic and Zoranovic, both former members of the Rogaticka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, are suspected of having committed crimes against the Bosniak population in Rogatica in the summer of 1992.

According to Matesic, 50 persons went missing in Rogatica at that time.

Milana Borovcanin-Bulic, Perisic’s defense attorney, said there was no reason to impose custody measures against her client.

“My client was not a member of the Rogaticka Brigade of the VRS [the Army of Republika Srpska] in the critical period. We have obtained material evidence that proves this,” Borovcanin-Bulic said. She proposed that custody measures be replaced with prohibitive measures.

Zorana Carkic, Zoranovic’s defense attorney, said the prosecution sent its custody extension motion late. She proposed that the court reject the prosecution’s request, because it wasn’t filed in a timely manner.

Carkic said allegations that her client could possibly influence witnesses were not founded. She said Zoranovic wasn’t associated with the disappearance of the fifty persons in Rogatica mentioned by the prosecution.

The court will render its decision at a later stage.