Bosnian Prosecution Seeks Custody Extension for Syria Suspect

Emir Alisic. Photo: Sud BiH

Prosecutor Biljana Golijanin said that the basis for Alisic being under suspicion was evident in the indictment filed following an investigation into Alisic, which was subsequently confirmed by the court.

But the defence objected to the custody extension. Defence lawyer Bakir Hecimovic said “there are absolutely no reasons for extending the custody measure”.

Hecimovic said he thinks that due to the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Europe, there is no possibility that Alisic could repeat the crime because of restrictions on movement.

He said that Alisic arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina five-and-a-half months ago, and there were no real reasons to think that the public would be upset by his release.

“He is a former police officer, a family man with no previous convictions,” Hecimovic added.

Hecimovic proposed that instead of custody, strict retrictions should be imposed on Alisic, including a ban on leaving his place of residence, which would eliminate the possibility of him repeating the offence, plus a no-contact measure, which would eliminate the possibility of Alisic influencing witnesses.

The indictment claims that Alisic left Bosnia and Herzegovina in late 2013 and travelled to Turkey. He then illegally went to Syria, where he fought for so-called Islamic State structures as member of several armed formations.

It is alleged that he was an Islamic State member in the period from 2013 to 2019 and was captured by Kurdish forces during the collapse and fall of Islamic State at the beginning of 2019.

In December, 2019 Alisic was deported to Bosnia and Herzegovina by plane together with Jasmin Keserovic, Armen Dzelko, Senad Kasupovic, Hamza Labidi, Muharem Dunjic and Milarem Berbic on suspicion that they fought in Syria for groups which the United Nations has declared to be terrorist organisations.

The trials of Dzelko and Keserovic began in early May.