Trial begins for crimes in the Derventa and Bosanski Brod areas

The trial of Almaz Nezirović, accused of war crimes committed against Serb civilians in the Derventa and Bosanski Brod areas, has begun at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN reported, as conveyed by the Patria News Agency.

According to the indictment, from the end of April to July 1992, Nezirović participated in the torture and inhumane treatment of imprisoned Serb civilians in the Rabić and Silos polje camps (Derventa municipality) and the camp in the settlement of Tulek (Bosanski Brod municipality).

Milanko Kajganić, prosecutor at the BiH Prosecutor's Office, stated that Nezirović is accused of repeatedly abusing and beating detainees as a guard, and torturing them in a particularly humiliating manner.

- The accused committed the abuses sometimes alone, sometimes with other members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), and the victims were detainees of Serb nationality from the Derventa area, who were imprisoned in the camps and suffered permanent consequences to their physical and mental health from the inflicted injuries - concluded prosecutor Kajganić.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office believes that Nezirović committed these crimes as a member of the Military Police of the 103rd Derventa Brigade of the HVO.

Prosecutor Kajganić said that he plans to prove the allegations of the indictment by hearing 33 witnesses, one expert witness, and by reading the testimony of a deceased witness.

Kerim Čelik, the defense attorney for the accused Nezirović, stated that he will not present an opening statement and will comment on the evidence after the Prosecutor's Office.

Nezirović lived in the United States of America (USA) from 1997, where an indictment was filed against him five years ago for providing false information when applying for citizenship. Bosnia and Herzegovina requested his extradition in July 2012, and the process took longer because Nezirović filed appeals regarding the extradition. He was extradited to BiH in July 2015.

The continuation of the trial will be scheduled later, writes NAP.