Bosnia Indicts Serb Ex-Soldier for Illegally Detaining Civilians

Courtroom of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo: BIRN BiH

The Bosnian state court confirmed an indictment charging Mile Stojanovic, former commander of the Army Vehicle Squad with the First Light Rajlovac Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army with participating in the detention of around 150 Bosniak civilians.

Stojanovic, who lives in Serbia and is unavailable to the Bosnian judiciary, is accused of committing a crime against the civilian population in the Rajlovac area, near Sarajevo.

“He has been accused, in his capacity as commander and manager of a detention facility situated in two oil storage facilities in the Rajlovac area, of having had control over the guards at the facility and participating in the unlawful detention of around 150 Bosniak civilians from Ahatovici, Dobrosevici and Bojnik, who were held in inhumane conditions,” the prosecution said when announcing the indictment.

It alleged that the civilians were subjected to various forms of physical and psychological abuse. One of them was taken away and severely beaten up near the facility, after which he died. His body was transported to an unknown location and has not been found.

Stojanovic is also charged with having ordered and enabled the removal of detainees to Bosnian Serb Army combat positions in Zunovnica, where they had to do forced labour, on June 12, 1992, exposing them to mortal danger. One detainee was killed and several were severely or lightly injured.