Indictment for Mostar Crimes

According to the unconfirmed indictment filed by the State Prosecution, Puljic, a former Commander of the Second Battalion with the Second Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, participated in a joint criminal enterprise in the Mostar area.

Forced disappearances, arrests of Bosniaks and their detention in prisons and detention camps happened as part of the joint criminal enterprise. Those people were also taken to the frontlines in order to perform labour and be used as human shields.

The indictment alleges that deportations of women, children and the elderly also happened as part of the enterprise. Those people were then unlawfully detained at various locations and forcibly transported to the territory controlled by the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH.

“By taking Bosniak detainees from Heliodrom detention camp and other detention facilities to the frontlines, where they performed forced labour, 11 Bosniak victims were killed, more than 70 people were wounded and two were taken in unknown direction,” the indictment alleges.

The Prosecution announced that between several tens and more than 100 Bosniak detainees were taken from Heliodrom detention camp and other locations in order to perform forced labour on several occasions.

According to the State Prosecution’s charges, members of the Second Battalion of the Second HVO Brigade, which was commanded by Puljic, physically abused and tortured about 15 persons in humiliating ways.

The Prosecution of BiH suspects Puljic of crimes against humanity.

According to the State Prosecution’s announcement, this indictment is very extensive, because it covers crimes against more than a hundred victims.

“In addition to the indictment, a voluminous evidence material, containing several hundreds of pieces of evidence, has been forwarded to the Court of BiH, along with a proposal for examination of 85 Prosecution witnesses and two expert witnesses,” the Prosecution of BiH announced.