Bosnia Arrests Two for War Crimes Against Serbs

The State Investigation and Protection Agency on Tuesday detained Jasarevic and Velagic, who are suspected by the Bosnian prosecution of having detained, tortured, persecuted and killed Serbs in the western municipality of Livno from April 1992 to July 1993.

According to the prosecution, Jasarevic was a deputy commander of the Croatian Defence Council military police in Livno, while Velagic was a member of the military police’s criminal section.

They are suspected of having participated in a joint criminal enterprise aimed at forcing the Serb population out of the Livno area and its surroundings, as well as abusing, persecuting and detaining about 300 people at the Ivan Goran Kovacic school building in Livno.

Serbs were held at the school in inhumane conditions, and subjected to threats, tortured and murdered, the prosecution alleges. A total of 16 people were killed, it says.

After their arrests in the Sarajevo and Bihac areas, the suspects will be handed over to the Bosnian state prosecution for examination. The prosecutor will then decide whether to file a custody motion or not.