Bosnia Confirms War Crime Charge Against Serb Ex-Police Chief

The Bosnian state court. Photo: BIRN.

The state court in Sarajevo on Monday confirmed the indictment charging Nedjeljko Popovic with failing to take necessary and reasonable measures to prevent the murders and serious abuse of civilians in the town of Mrkonjic Grad in 1992, and failing to do anything to punish the perpetrators.

Popovic was charged in his capacity as chief of the police’s Public Security Station in Mrkonjic Grad and superior officer to active and reservist policemen.

The crimes were allegedly committed in June 1992, when a number of Bosniak and Croat civilians, including minors and women, were unlawfully detained at the Public Security Station in Mrkonjic Grad and at premises owned by the Udarnik company in the village of Bjelajce and the Zadruzna Trgovina company in the village of Podbrdo.

The prosecution said when the charges were initially raised that “Popovic allowed members of the Public Security Station, soldiers and other individuals to enter the said premises, where they committed severe beatings, abuse and torture of prisoners, caused severe bodily and psychological injuries with permanent consequences, tortured them in humiliating ways and committed other inhumane acts”.

One prisoner died as a result of several days of repeated torture and abuse, the prosecution added.

Popovic currently lives in Pancevo in Serbia and has both Bosnian and Serbian citizenship.