Trial for Vitez Crimes Begins March 14
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The trial of former Bosnian Army members Minet Akeljic, Saban Haskic, Senad Bilal, Hazim Patkovic and Semsudin Djelilovic will begin on March 14 with a reading of the indictment and the presentation of introductory statements. They have been charged with crimes in the Vitez area.
During a pretrial status conference the state prosecution submitted its proposed list of evidence to the trial chamber and defense. The proposal wasn’t presented to public.
According to the indictment, Akeljic was the former commander of military police with the First Battalion of the 325th Mountain Brigade of the Bosnian Army, while the other defendants were members of the same military police unit.
The indictment alleges that Akeljic, Haskic, Bilal and Patkovic participated in crimes against Croat civilians and prisoners of war. Djelilovic allegedly participated in crimes against civilians in the village of Kruscica in the municipality of Vitez in 1993.
According to the charges, Akeljic and the other defendants allegedly took Croat detainees out of the “Crna Kuca” detention facility in Kruscica and then physically and mentally abused them.
The indictment was confirmed on December 25, 2015.
