Pustivuk: Trial for Ilijas Crimes Starts Anew

With the consent of all parties to the proceedings, the indictment and introductory arguments, which the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented earlier, were included in the case file. After that, the statements given by protected witness S1 and Zijad Selimovic were heard in the courtroom.

Testifying for the Prosecution on November 9, 2010, Selimovic said that indictee Srpko Pustivuk led a group of armed people who carried out an attack on his house in May 1992, when his brother Zahid and father Uzeir were killed.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Srpko Pustivuk, former member of the Public Safety Station in Ilijas, with having participated, in collaboration with other members of the Army and police of Republika Srpska, in an attack against civilians, including children, in Gornja Bioca village, Ilijas municipality in May and June 1992.

In addition, Pustivuk is charged with having participated, in his capacity as special policeman with the Public Safety Station in Ilijas, in the arrests and detention of Bosniak civilians, who were then taken to other detention camps and detention facilities.

The trial of Pustivuk was interrupted on November 10 last year due to the illness of a Trial Chamber member, who was replaced following a three-month break. For this reason, the trial had to start from the beginning again.

At the next hearing, scheduled for March 22, 2011, statements given by three more protected Prosecution witnesses will be heard.

J.Đ.