Bosnia Begins Trials of Syria Suspects on May 4
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Keserovic and Dzelko, who are on trial in separate cases, pleaded not guilty on April 8.
Their trials will begin with reading of the indictments and the presentation of introductory statements.
Besides the accusation that he joined a terrorist group, Keserovic has also been accused of publicly inciting terrorist activities.
According to the charges, on January 23, 2013 he went from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Syria and became a member of ISIL, whose members conducted armed operations on a daily basis, which included attacks on the population, murders, unlawful detention, hostage-taking and other actions, seeking to force the legitimate Syrian authorities to change the constitutional order and political regime.
It is further alleged that Keserovic remained a member of ISIL until December 2019, fighting in the towns of Manbij, Kobani, Raqqa and al-Bab as member of the Bejt Komandos unit, which was later renamed el-Aksa.
Keserovic has been charged with having recorded and distributed a video message, while wearing a uniform and armed with an automatic rifle, in which he directly incited the commission of acts of terrorism – attacks on the population and killings.
It is alleged in the indictment that Dzelko, alias Abdullah and Ike, who was born in Sarajevo in 1990, left for Syria in early 2013 and then joined ISIL. He has been accused of participating in terrorist activities – armed operations, attacks on the population, killings, unlawful detention, hostage-taking and other actions.
It is further alleged that he was injured several times. After the defeat and collapse of ISIL in late 2019, he surrendered to coalition forces in the town of Baghouz, after which he was deported to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kaserovic and Dzelko are being held in detention. They were deported to Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2019 alongside Senad Kasupovic, who also pleaded not guilty of terrorism due to his participation on the Syrian battlefront following the confirmation of his indictment on April 8, and four other suspects who the Bosnian state prosecution is still investigating.
According to the charges, Kasupovic, who was born in the Velika Kladusa area in 1980, left Bosnia and Herzegovina and travelled to Turkey on July 12, 2013. He then illegally crossed the border into Syria, where he spent six years, until December 19, 2019.
The indictment alleges that Kasupovic used the name of Muatesim and participated, alongside other Bosnians, in terrorist activities providing help and fighting for the Bejt Komandos unit, which was later renamed el-Aksa.
