Three Bosnians Plead Not Guilty to Fighting in Syria
This post is also available in: Bosnian
Jasmin Keserovic, Senad Kasupovic and Armen Dzelko have all entered not-guilty pleas before the Bosnian state court, denying that they joined and assisted the so-called Islamic State in Syria.
They entered their pleas at separate hearings because they are being tried separately.
In addition to being accused of joining a terrorist group, Keserovic is also charged with publicly inciting terrorist acts.
According to the indictment, Keserovic left Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 23, 2013 and went to Syria, where he became member of ISIL, whose members were seeking to overthrow the Syrian regime through armed operations including attacks, murders, unlawful detentions and hostage-taking hostages.
It is further alleged that Keserovic stayed with ISIL until December 2019, fighting in the towns of Manbij, Kobani, Raqqa and al-Bab as member of the Bejt Komandos unit, which was later renamed el Aksa.
The indictment claims that Keserovic, wearing a uniform and armed with an automatic rifle, recorded and distributed a message to the public, directly inciting others to commit acts of terrorism by attacking and killing people.
Kasupovic, who was born in the Velika Kladusa area in 1980, is accused of travelling to Turkey on July 12, 2013 and then illegally crossing the border into Syria, where he spent six years, remaining there until December 19, 2019.
The indictment alleges that Kasupovic, using the name Muatesim, participated together with other people from Bosnia and Herzegovina in terrorist acts, providing help and fighting for the Bejt Komandos Unit, which was later renamed el Aksa.
Dzelko, alias Abdullah and Ike, who was born in Sarajevo in 1990, allegedly travelled to Syria in early 2013. Upon arrival he joined ISIL.
He is also charged with participating in terrorist activities, including armed operations, attacks, killings, unlawful detentions and hostage-taking.
It is further alleged that Dzelko was injured several times. After the defeat and collapse of ISIL in late 2019, he surrendered in the town of Baghouz, after which he was deported to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The three defendants have all been remanded in custody. They were deported from Syria in December 2019 alongside four other suspects who the prosecution is still investigating.
