Bosnian Serb Army Officers Charged over Killings of Prisoners

The Bosnian state court and prosecution building. Photo: BIRN.

The Bosnian state prosecution said on Wednesday that it has charged Radomir Nedic, the wartime commander of the Bosnian Serb Army’s First Majevica Brigade, and Ratko Djurkovic, the commander of the First Battalion of the First Majevica Brigade, with having command responsibility for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The prosecution alleges that during an attack on the Bosniak civilian population in the village of Tursunovo Brdo in the Ugljevik municipality in July 1992, Bosnian Serb Army troops subordinate to the two commanders killed four Bosniak civilians.

Two women aged over 60 were among the civilians who were killed, the prosecution alleges.

The indictment claims that Nedic and Djurkovic were present at the crime scene, managed the operation, knew and were informed about the crime against the civilians and failed to undertake measures to identify and punish the perpetrators.

It is further alleged that troops subordinate to Nedic and Djurkovic killed two prisoners of war.

“The defendants are accused of having been present at the crime scene during the capture and murder of two members of the Bosnian Army who were killed with firearms and knives after having been captured by subordinate members of the Bosnian Serb Army, and of having known about and been informed about the crime, but failing to undertake the necessary measures to prosecute the crime,” the prosecution said in a statement.

The indictment has been forwarded to the state court for confirmation.