Kos: Plea Deal Under Discussion

This was revealed at a hearing at which state prosecutors asked he be held in custody for an additional two months to allow them to complete their investigation and identify other perpetrators.

Kos, a former member of the 10th Reconnaissance Squad with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, is suspected of having participated in the murder of about 1,000 people at the Branjevo military farm in Pilica, near Zvornik, in July 1995.

“We are determining the identity of Bratunac Brigade members. Besides that, we need to identify the people who took members of the 10th Reconnaissance Squad to Branjevo farm,” said prosecutor Dubravko Campara.

He said that the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina had issued warrants against the alleged accomplices, former members of the 10th Reconnaissance Squad who live in Serbia.

“They do not have Serbian citizenship. We are currently discussing the issue with our colleagues in Serbia in order to locate and deprive them of liberty,” Campara said.

Prosecutors say Kos, a Slovenian citizen, should remain in custody as he may flee, influence witnesses and alleged accomplices and disturb the public order and peace.

The defence did not object to the motion to keep Kos in prison, but lawyer Dusko Tomic asked the court to exclude the public so he could deny certain allegations made by the prosecutor and enable Kos to address the trial chamber to describe what “he is going through” in the Penal and Correctional Facility in Zenica.

“We are discussing a possible settlement with the prosecution. Presenting some pieces of information in public would be disastrous for Kos and his family,” Tomic said.

Judges will render a decision at a later date.

Kos was arrested at the border crossing between Serbia and Croatia on April 19 and extradited to Bosnia two months later.