Vranjes et al: Visit to Crime Location

At a hearing held on September 14 this year the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted a revised indictment against Ljubisa Vranjes and Mladen Milic. The Defence of the indictees expressed their opinion about it at the hearing held today.

“The mentioned revisions do not significantly change the identity of the indictment in the formal and legal sense. Hence, we agree with the Prosecution’s proposal,” said Simo Tosic, Defence attorney of indictee Mladen Milic.

However, the two Defence attorneys said that, in their closing statements they would specifically comment on the part of the indictment saying that the indictees “ordered the commission of certain actions”.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not explain the revised indictment.

According to the revised charges, Vranjes, former member of the Public Safety Center in Banja Luka, and Mladen Milic, former member of “7551 Military Post in Banja Luka”, came to a house, where three civilians were held, on June 6, 1992 and ordered the civilians to come with them for an examination. The civilians allegedly carried out the order.

The indictment alleges that two prisoners were killed next to a monument erected in honour of the fallen soldiers of the Second World War, while the third one was severely wounded.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina originally charged Goran Markovic, former member of “7551 Military Post in Banja Luka”, under the same indictment with having shot at the prisoners, who had been brought to the fallen soldiers monument. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina decided to separate the case against Markovic from the case against the two other indictees.

At this hearing the Trial Chamber informed the parties that it would visit the location in Kotor-Varos, where, according to the State Prosecution’s indictment, war crimes were committed. The visit will take place on
October 5.

“We would like to personally check the distance between certain buildings and familiarise ourselves with the situation in the field,” said Trial Chamber Chairman Stanisa Gluhajic.

M.B.