Zvornik Crimes Suspects Ordered into Custody

The following persons have been ordered into one-month custody: Goran Maksimovic, Ljiljan Mitrovic, Radivoje Djordjic, Slavko Peric, Mile Vujevic, Vukasin Draskovic, Gojko Stevanovic, Cvjetko Popadic, Rajo Lazarevic and Mico Manojlovic.

The former senior officials of police and military structures are suspected of having planned, managed and supervised the operations and participated, in collaboration with other members of military forces, in the mass persecution of local Bosniak residents from Lokanj village, Zvornik municipality, on July 14, 1992.

“They are suspected of having committed persecution of about 120 civilians, including children and women. Following the persecution, they took columns of victims to various localities and detention places, where they were tortured and abused in various ways. They separated groups of people and committed mass shootings on several occasions. More than 67 victims were killed,” the Prosecution of BiH says in its announcement.

The Court ordered the suspects into custody due to existence of suspicion that they might interfere with the criminal proceeding by influencing witnesses and accomplices as well as destroying or hiding evidence.

As far as suspects Slavko Peric and Ljiljan Mitrovic are concerned, the custody measure has been requested due to the existence of a danger that they might flee.

Applying the State Strategy for Processing of War Crimes, the Prosecution of BiH took this case over from the Tuzla Cantonal Prosecution.