Selimovic et al: Investigation into War Crimes

Selimovic’s Defence presented the Court with documents indicating that members of the Military Security Service examined prisoners of war and mentioning their conclusions related to those statements.

Asim Crnalic, Defence attorney of indictee Selimovic, said that his client examined prisoners very briefly about certain crimes in case he had obtained counter-intelligence information.

“We wish to prove that Selimovic always briefly examined witnesses, who did not have many pieces of information about crimes, and was considerate to a maximum extent,” said Crnalic, presented a few documents to the Trial Chamber.  

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Selimovic, Adil Ruznic and Emir Mustafic with crimes in Bosnian Krajina. According to the charges, Selimovic, Ruznic and Mustafic assisted in the detention of members of the Republika Srpska, RS Army and police and civilians in detention centres in Bihac, Cazin and Bosanski Petrovac from 1994 to 1996.  

The indictment alleges that the indictees physically mistreated prisoners while examining them.
It further alleges that Selimovic was Counter-intelligence Officer and Deputy Chief of the Military Security Section of the Fifth Corps with ABiH, Ruznic was Assistant Commander for Security and Mustafic was military policeman.

Crnalic presented the Trial Chamber with a few pieces of evidence with which he tried to prove that Selimovic always signed the statements he took from prisoners of war, because some Prosecution witnesses claimed to have been examined by him, although the statements did not contain his signature.    

“Due to counter-intelligence reasons, the Military Security Service was obliged to follow the movement of prisoners in order to know where they were at any given moment, but it was not responsible for establishing or functioning of ‘the collection centres’ or determining the status of prisoners of war,” Crnalic said.
 
By presenting material evidence, Defence attorney Crnalic tried to convince the Trial Chamber that the Military Security Service, or more precisely its counter-intelligence sector, to which Selimovic and Ruznic belonged, had nothing to do with military police.

“We are presenting these pieces of evidence, because the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina alleges that some military policemen mistreated prisoners,” Crnalic said.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not object to these pieces of evidence, because it had previously proposed them as Prosecution evidence.  

The trial is due to continue on August 24 this year.

A.S.