ICTY: Sredoje and Milan Lukic charged with massive rapes

The Hague Prosecution has filed an indictment expansion motion in the case of Milan and Sredoje Lukic, charging them with a huge number of the rapes of women in the Visegrad area.

In case the Tribunal approves the request, this will be the third time the indictment has been changed since 1997, when it was first filed.

As explained in the motion, “in the interest of justice” and on the basis of arguments, the Prosecution asks the Tribunal to consider the proposal to charge the two cousins with the rape and sexual abuse of women, in addition to other charges.

“The available evidence suggest that, in the period of time covered by the indictment, Milan and Sredoje Lukic were involved, individually or together with other participants, in planning, abetting or mediating in a joint criminal enterprise committed in Visegrad, as well as in planning and/or the abetting of rape, keeping in slavery and torture of persons in detention centres and other locations in Visegrad town and its vicinity,” the motion indicates.

“In essence, the indictees brought women and girls to those locations, where they were raped and tortured,” the motion further states.

The Prosecution claims that the available evidence imply that Milan and Sredoje Lukic kidnapped women and girls from their houses or shelters in Visegrad and, “at the same time, captured or killed their husbands, sons and brothers.”

“Milan Lukic and, on some occasions, Sredoje, held women and girls in detention at several locations, most notorious of which were the Vilina Vlas hotel (central office of Milan Lukic’s paramilitary group) and the Hasan Veletovac school building, as well as at some other locations,” the Prosecution claims.

“Women were held in slavery, they were tortured and raped at those locations. A large number of them were raped on multiple occasions.”

“The available data suggest that the sexual abuse model was a part of a widespread and systematic campaign against Muslims from Visegrad,” the Prosecution considers.

Further on, the Prosecution said that the female witnesses, whose names have already been submitted to the Tribunal, would testify concerning these events. In addition it made a reference to available written reports, including a UN Special Report made in 1992, in which an entire chapter was dedicated to rape committed in Visegrad. Besides this report, the Prosecution also referred to a report made by the Commission for Gathering of Data on War Crimes in Bosnia, as well as the book written by German journalist Alexandra Stiglmayer on “Massive Rape: The War against Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

The motion indicates that the witnesses, who were contacted by the Prosecution, were unwilling to testify about the rape, “as they were afraid of being in the same room with the indictees once again” and testifying, in public, about what they lived through.

The Tribunal will deliver its decision in the near future.

The Association of Victims from Visegrad has already pointed several times to the fact that the Lukic cousins were not indicted for this crime. BIRN – Justice Report covered the subject in its study entitled “Nobody Hears the Cries of Visegrad Rape Victims”, which is available at: http://www.bim.ba/en/32/10/1312/

Milan Lukic is charged in his capacity as commander of the “Beli orlovi” (“White Eagles”) or “Osvetnici” (“Revengers”) paramilitary group from Visegrad. The indictment alleges that he committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sredoje Lukic, a pre-war policeman from Visegrad, is charged, as member of the same paramilitary group, with having committed crimes against humanity.

The indictment further alleges that the two indictees participated in the deflagration of more than 70 Bosniak women, children and the elderly in a house in Pionirska street and another 70 persons in a house in Bikavac settlement.

In addition, they are charged with torture and beating of Bosniaks, who were detained in the Uzamnica barracks.

Milan is charged with the shooting of Bosniaks on the Drina riverbanks.

Milan Lukic was arrested in Argentina in the summer of 2005. Sredoje surrendered to Republika Srpska authorities in 2005, after having been hiding in Russia for years. The initial indictment against the two men was filed in 1997.