Warrant issued over Velibor Bogdanovic

According to the information from the State Court, the warrant was issued on 31 August this year after Bogdanovic was not found at the address given to the court.

The State Court on 29 August sentenced Bogdanovic, who was a former member of the Croat Defence Council (HVO) for the rape and unlawful detention of civilians in the Mostar area in 1993.

In accordance to the first degree verdict, Bogdanovic together with five unknown members of the HVO on the night between 25 and 26 May 1993 came to a Bosniak family apartment, where he raped the wife and took her husband with the other soldiers to the Heliodrom camp.

The Court Council made a decision on 29 August on the detention of indictee Bogdanovic but he did not show up on the declaration of the verdict so the Court ordered him to be apprehended.

Detention, in accordance to this decision could be as long as nine months, up to 29 May 2012.

Bogdanovic’s lawyer Nada Dalipagic stated that the international warrant was not known to her but she will appeal the detention decision.

“I have received the detention decision today and I will appeal that decision” stated Dalipagic.

Dalipagic could not comment on whether she is in contact with Bogdanovic, stating that this is “a lawyer’s secret”.

A.S.