Bosnian Serb Fighter Charged with Burning Civilians Alive

Susnjar, also known as Lalco, allegedly arrived with Bosnian Serb Army troops and members of Serb paramilitary forces at a house where the Bosniaks were being held.

He and the others threatened the Bosniaks, saying that they would be killed unless they gave up their jewellery and money, the charges state.

The prosecution accuses Susnjar of personally stripping the Bosniaks to find out if they had hidden any gold or money, while threatening and insulting them.

The same night, the prosecution claims, Susnjar ordered the civilians to go to another house, escorted them there and locked the house.

Then he threw a grenade into the house, setting it on fire.

“Susnjar threw a hand grenade, and then shot at the house from an automatic rifle to stop the civilians from fleeing,” said the prosecution.

“There were 57 civilians in the house, among them women, children and elderly people, who were burned alive. Some managed to escape and save themselves, while the remains of those who could not flee have still not been found,” it added.

In 2009, the Hague Tribunal jailed former Bosnian Serb paramilitary leader Milan Lukic for life and his cousin Sredoje Lukic for 27 years for their involvement in the Visegrad massacre and other war crimes.

Susnjar was arrested in France in 2014 and then extradited to Bosnia and Herzegovina after a court process that lasted two years.

His indictment has been sent to the state court for confirmation.