The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ordered one-month custody of Zeljko Ivanovic, also known as Arkan. The Prosecution suspects that he participated in the genocide committed in Srebrenica in July 1995. Under the decision custody may last until April 4.
Ivanovic was allegedly a member of the Second Special Police Squad from Sekovici in July 1995. He is suspected of having killed, together with other Squad members, at least 1,000 Bosniaks in the Agricultural Cooperative warehouse in Kravica, in Bratunac Municipality, by shooting them with automatic weapons and machine guns, as well as throwing explosives at them.
He was ordered into custody after the State Prosecution filed a custody order motion. The Court determined that there “is a grounded suspicion that Ivanovic committed the crime charged upon him”.
In addition, the State Court considers that he might try to escape or otherwise disturb public order. Another reason for ordering him into custody is the fact that he may be sentenced to ten or more years’ imprisonment.
The State Investigation and Protection Agency arrested Ivanovic in Mokro village, near Pale, on March 4, 2009, three years after an international warrant was issued against him.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has already tried ten former members of the Second Special Police Squad from Sekovici for participation in the genocide committed in Srebrenica. In July 2008 the State Court rendered a first-instance verdict sentencing Milenko Trifunovic, Aleksandar Radovanovic and Brane Dzinic to 42 years each, Milos Stupar, Slobodan Jakovljevic and Branislav Medan to 40 years and Petar Mitrovic to 38 years in prison.
By the same verdict Velibor Maksimovic, Dragisa Zivanovic and Miladin Stevanovic were acquitted of all charges and released from custody.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently trying Radomir Vukovic and Zoran Tomic, former members of the Second Special Police Squad from Sekovici, who are charged with participating in the capture, taking away and murder of more than 1,000 men in Kravica Agricultural Cooperative, in Bratunac Municipality, on July 13, 1995.
