Prosecution Requests Extension of Custody Measures for Bjelosevic

Bjelosevic, Milan Savic, Dusan Kuzmanovic, Predrag Markocevic, Marinko Djukic, Miroslav Pijunovic, and Dobrivoje Culibrk are suspected of committing crimes against the non-Serb population in the areas of Teslic and Doboj. All of the suspects are former members of a Bosnian Serb paramilitary formation known as “Mice.” The other six suspects have been in custody, but have since been released.

Prosecutor Dzermin Pasic said that his investigation was still ongoing, and that he needed to examine witnesses and collect more documents. Pasic said that in order for him to complete the investigation without interference, Bjelosevic needed to remain in custody.

Bjelosevic was arrested six months ago and has been in court-ordered custody since. Custody measures were enforced on the suspicion that Bjelosevic would influence witnesses and suspected accomplices, or attempt to destroy or hide evidence.

Tatjana Savic, Bjelosevic’s defense attorney, objected to the motion to extend Bjelosevic’s time in custody. She requested that the trial chamber release him.

“The defense claims that there are no grounds for extending custody measures,” Savic said.

Bjelosevic said the state prosecution insisted that he was planning to either destroy or hide documentation he had collected during the war and postwar period. He said that he had collected documentation at that time with the aim of one day revealing the truth.

Bjelosevic said the state prosecution’s attempts to keep him in custody for as long as possible had jeopardized his health.

“Allow me to undergo these [medical] examinations and take care of my health problems,” Bjelosevic said.

Trial chamber chairwoman Jasmina Kosovic told Bjelosevic to submit any requests concerning his health in writing.

The trial chamber will render a decision on Bjelosevic’s custody measures at a later stage.