Mario Miličević indicted for crimes in Mostar and Heliodrom camp

Mostar resident Mario Miličević, known as Baja, residing in Croatia, has been indicted for crimes against humanity. The prosecutor of the Special Department for War Crimes of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH has forwarded the indictment to the Court of BiH for confirmation, reports the Patria News Agency.

– Milićević is accused of, from July 1993 to the end of March 1994, during the war between the Army of BiH and the HVO, in his capacity as commander of the ATG Benko Penavić, HVO in the Mostar area, being aware that his actions voluntarily contributed to the organization and commission of a widespread, systematic attack directed against the civilian population, Bosniaks in the municipality of Mostar, participating in the commission of crimes and allowing the direct perpetrators to commit criminal acts to achieve the criminal intent – the statement from the Prosecutor's Office of BiH states.

The accused is charged with demanding that members of the ATG Benko Penavić, and sometimes he himself, take out prisoners, civilians of Bosniak nationality from the Heliodrom camp and bring them for forced labor, and as human shields, to the front line between the Army of BiH and the HVO, while combat was ongoing.

Milićević is accused of demanding the removal of prisoners, exposing them to life-threatening situations and the risk of being killed, wounded, and subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment, during which they were repeatedly forced to dig trenches, build fortifications, and carry full sandbags on the demarcation line for the needs of the ATG.

Exposed to great danger on the front lines and as human shields, 20 prisoners-civilians of Bosniak nationality were wounded, five were killed, while five prisoners were physically abused, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH announced.