Bosnian Serb Ex-Soldiers Face Prijedor Village Murder Trial

Former Bosnian Serb soldiers Ranko Babic, Bratislav Bilbija and Djuro Adamovic will stand trial for the torture, abuse and murder of Bosniak civilians in the village of Ljeskare near Prijedor in August 1992.

The Bosnian state court on Monday confirmed an indictment charging Babic, Bilbija and Adamovic, in their capacity as commanding officers and soldiers of the Bosnian Serb Army, with contravening the Geneva Conventions’ provisions on the protection of civilians at a time of war.

Autor:

Emina Dizdarević Tahmiščija

28. january 2019. | 16:19

This post is also available in: Bosnian

According to the charges, in August 1992 the defendants arrived in the hamlet of Bukvik in the village of Ljeskare and separated several male Bosniak civilians, including minors, from the others.

They then allegedly participated in the torture, abuse and murder of Bosniak civilians, two of whom were murdered in Ljeskare. Three other civilians were taken away in an unknown direction and have been missing without trace since then, the state prosecution said in a statement.

Babic, as the most senior officer, is charged with participating in the commission of the crimes and failing to undertake the necessary measures to prevent them and punish the perpetrators.

The defendants are due to enter their pleas in the upcoming period.