Arrested for Crimes in Kalinovik

Marinko and Zoran Bjelica were arrested as per a warrant issued by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which suspects them, as former members of local Serb military and police forces, of having come to “Miladin Radojevic” school building in Kalinovik, where Bosniak civilians were detained, and beat four civilians up in a classroom on August 1, 1992.

“One of the civilians died due to consequences of the beating,” the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina said.

Marinko and Zoran Bjelica are suspected of having come to the school building again on the following day and killed three civilians, whose bodies were exhumed in the Kalinovik area later on.

Marinko and Zoran Bjelica will be handed over to the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will examine them. After that a prosecutor will decide whether to file a custody order motion with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina or not.

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina previously pronounced a second instance verdict, sentencing Nedjo Zeljaja, Ratko Bundalo and Krsto Savic for the detention of Bosniak civilians and crimes committed in “Miladin Radojevic” school building. Bundalo was sentenced to 22, Zeljaja to 15 and Savic to 17 years in prison.

According to the State Court’s verdict, Bundalo was Commander of the Kalinovik Tactical Group with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, Zeljaja was Commander of the Police Station in Kalinovik, while Savic was Chief of the Safety Services Centre in Trebinje.