Suspect for war crime in BiH arrested at border, had been hiding abroad for years

SARAJEVO, Through the operational work of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with partner institutions and agencies, after three months, a suspect for a war crime in Balatun near Bijeljina, committed in September 1992, was located and arrested, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH announced.  

The suspect Milenko Samardžija, also known as Travka, born in 1964 in Travnik, was arrested after entering the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Bosanski Brod border crossing.

He had been abroad for a longer period and was unavailable to the authorities of BiH, the statement said.

- He is charged with, as a member of the Special Platoon of the MUP of RS Sokolac, as a direct perpetrator of executions, together with other persons, participating in the murder of 22 civilians of Bosniak nationality from Bijeljina, members of the Sarajlić, Sejmenović and Malagić families, among whom there were minor children and elderly persons - the Prosecutor's Office of BiH announced.

The victims, as they add, were shot on the bank of the Drina River in the place of Balatun, after being illegally taken from their homes.

After examining the suspect, the prosecutor in charge will make a decision on further activities regarding the proposal for detention.