Former HVO Fighter Charged With War Crimes
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Bosnia’s State Prosecution charged Nezirovic on Wednesday with having participated in the torture and inhumane treatment of detained Serbian civilians in the Rabic and Silos Polje detention camps in the municipality of Derventa and in the detention camp in Tulek in the municipality of Bosanski Brod from April to July 1992.
The state prosecution alleges that Nezirovic committed crimes as a member of the military police with the 103rd Derventska Brigade of the Croatian Cefence Council, the HVO.
“In his capacity as a guard, Nezirovic committed abuse and beating of detainees, as well as torture of detainees in the mentioned detention camps in an extremely humiliating manner,” the state prosecution said.
It alleges that Nezirovic beat detainees with batons, tools and various objects and tortured them by forcing them to put the three fingers used for prayers on a table and then broke their fingers and fists by hitting them with objects. He also allegedly brutally abused a detained doctor, who had offered medical aid to the abused victims.
It further alleges that he deprived detainees of food as well and that “when he brought food, he would spill it in a hangar channel used for defecation, ridiculing the detainees.
“The defendant sometimes committed the abuse on his own and sometimes in collaboration with other members of the HVO.
His victims were Serbian detainees from the Derventa area who were unlawfully detained in the mentioned detention camps. The injuries they received caused permanent consequences to the victims’ mental and physical health,” the announcement said.
The indictment has been filed with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for confirmation
Nezirovic had lived in the United States of America since 1997. Five years ago, an indictment was filed against him in the US for having given false data when applying for US citizenship.
Bosnia filed an extradition request in July 2012. The procedure lasted some time because Nezirovic filed appeals against extradition. Over that period an investigation into Nezirovic was conducted by the District Prosecution in Doboj.
