Bosnia Charges Serb Ex-Soldiers with Killings of 20 Civilians

The Bosnian state prosecution on Wednesday published an indictment charging Marinko Vidovic, as commander of the Interventions Squad of the Bosnian Serb Army’s First Ilijas Light Assault Brigade, and Interventions Squad member Pero Vujovic, with committing a crime against humanity in the village of Ljesevo, near Ilijas, during the Bosnian war.

The indictment alleges that they were involved in conducting an attack on the Bosniak civilian population in the village of Ljesevo, acting jointly with others, on June 5, 1992, and also set houses on fire and arrested civilians.

The civilians were lined up in the yard of one of the village houses, where the two suspects and at least five other members of the same unit shot dead 20 of them, mostly members of the Fazlic, Masnopita and Avdukic families.

There were women and elderly people among the civilians who were shot.

They also severely wounded two people, the prosecution said in an announcement.

“The indictment alleges that, following the murder of the civilians, the remaining Bosniak population, consisting of at least 100 people, including men, women and children, was arrested and taken into forcible confinement in Podlugovi,” the prosecution added.

The prosecution said that both men have Serbian citizenship.

“Both have a place of residence in Serbia,” prosecution spokesperson Boris Grubesic told BIRN.

Ranko Draskic and Savo Manojlovic, former members of the Interventions Squad of the Territorial Defence force of the Serb Municipality of Iljas, which later became the Ilijas Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, are currently on trial at the Bosnian state court for the same offences. Their trial began in March this year.

The indictment has been filed to the Bosnian state court for confirmation.