Custody Extension for Zeljko Stanarevic Requested

Prosecutor Emir Neradin requested two-month extension of custody due to a danger that the suspect might influence witnesses while at liberty.

“A witness was warned by a friend of his that he was a snitch. He is afraid for his family,” Neradin said.

According to the Prosecution, the investigation in this case is in its most sensitive phase.

“About 70 captives were killed in Hrgar village. The murders were committed for 15 to 20 days. Considering the fact that those were comrades and that most of the witnesses live on the territory of Prijedor and Banja Luka, the suspect has a strong motive to influence the witnesses,” Neradin said.
He pointed out that one of the witnesses saw that the suspect participated in taking ten people, whose hands were tied, out. He said that they were then taken to Hrgar and killed.

Neradin said that the Prosecution was checking the information that the suspect participated in the murder of another group of captives.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH, suspects Stanarevic of having participated, along with other members of military police of the Republika Srpska Army, in the taking of captured Bosniak civilians from the yard of the Public Safety Station in Ripac and their murders at Hrgar locality in June 1992.

Milan Romanic, Defence attorney of the suspect, said that neither suspect, his Defence attorney nor members of his family had undertaken any actions in terms of influencing witnesses.

“The Prosecutor’s proposals are nothing but assumptions… Any reason for detention must be concretised. I propose to the Chamber to reject the Prosecution’s proposal and order any prohibiting measure against the suspect,” Romanic said.

The State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, arrested Stanarevic in Piskavica village in Banja Luka on June 17.