Bosnian Prosecution Demands Jail for Capljina Ex-Policemen

10. May 2017.13:21
The state prosecution called for former policemen Nikola Zovko, Petar Krndelj, Kreso Rajic and Ivica Cutura to be found guilty of killing three Bosniaks during an attack in the Capljina area in July 1993. Prosecutor Stanko Blagic told the state court in Sarajevo in his closing statement in the trial on Wednesday that the allegations that the four men committed war crimes involving the deaths of three Bosniak civilians had been proved, and called for them to be jailed.

This post is also available in: Bosnian

The indictment alleges that the men participated in an armed operation in the village of Celjevo in the Capljina municipality on or around July 28, 1993, during which three Bosniak civilians were killed.

Zovko is the former commander of the police station in Capljina, Krndelj the former assistant commander, Rajic the former commander of the Military Police Squad in Capljina, and Cutura a former operational worker at the police station.

Krndelj, Zovko and Rajic have been charged with failing to punish subordinate members of the civil and military police who committed the murders.

Prosecutor Blagic said the injured parties were civilians and “could not have been commandos, as alleged by the defence”.

According to the prosecutor, Krndelj was present at the murder scene and the lives of the men who were killed were in his hands.

“He could have prevented their murder,” Blagic said, adding that it could be concluded, on the basis of the evidence, that Krndelj led the operation in Celjevo.

As far as Zovko and Rajic are concerned, prosecutor Blagic said they were not personally present at the crime scene but were obliged to punish the perpetrators, and did not.

Zovko, Krndelj and Cutura have also been charged with unlawfully arresting civilians from the village of Veledarova Mahala and taking them to Gabela detention camp in July 1993.

The prosecutor said that this count had been proved at the trial as well.

“Witness Adem Veledar confirmed that Ivica Cutura carried out the arrests of the Bosniak civilians,” Blagic said.

Zovko and Krndelj’s defence lawyers are due to present their closing statements on May 24.

Lamija Grebo


This post is also available in: Bosnian