Indictment filed against Merkez, Bogunić and Hurić

The Prosecutor of the Special Department for War Crimes of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH has filed an indictment against: Ibri Merkeza, born on 15.11.1942 in Ribari, Foča municipality, a citizen of BiH, Predraga Bogunića, born on 28.01.1949 in Goražde, a citizen of BiH, and Ešefa Hurića, born on 24.09.1958 in Radijevići, Goražde municipality, a citizen of BiH, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

The accused are charged that during the war and armed conflict between the Army of RBiH and the VRS in the area of Goražde municipality, in the period from July 1992 to the second half of February 1993, they acted contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

They are charged that the accused Merkez, in his capacity as head of the Public Security Station (SJB) Goražde (May-August 1992), the accused Bogunić, in his capacity as head of the SJB Goražde (August 1992-February 1993), and the accused Hurić, in his capacity as commander of the Police Station (PS) Goražde, planned, ordered, committed, assisted in the planning, preparation and commission, as well as otherwise participated in the murder, unlawful detention, denial of the right to a fair trial, and inhumane treatment of more than 100 civilians of Serb nationality from the Goražde municipality area, of different genders, aged 7 to 70.

According to the indictment, in the period from mid-July to the end of October 1992, the accused, through police officers subordinate to them from the SJB Goražde and PS Goražde, detained and held in four apartments of a building, in the immediate vicinity of the SJB in Goražde, over 70 civilians of Serb nationality from the right bank of the Drina River, and that in the period from mid-July 1992 to the second half of February 1993, they detained and held 35 civilians in the detention facilities of the SJB Goražde.

The accused Bogunić is charged with the unlawful detention of thirty-one civilians of Serb nationality from the village of Bučje in the premises of the CJB Goražde, as well as the detention of four more civilians of Serb nationality who had been previously arrested, while the accused Hurić is charged with participating in the unlawful detention of civilians by organizing and supervising their physical security, carried out by police officers of the active and reserve composition of the SJB Goražde, and also PS Goražde, subordinate to him.

In the mentioned facilities, civilians of Serb nationality were held in inhumane and unhygienic conditions, causing them severe physical and mental pain, suffering, and depriving them of their right to due process.

In addition to all of the above, the captured civilians were denied adequate medical care, which led to a deterioration of the health condition of the detained persons to such an extent that one person died in the premises of the SJB, while one person attempted suicide and died in the hospital, and four people died shortly after their release from the SJB.

The accused Merkez is charged with forbidding the detained civilians who were in the apartments on the top floor of the building, near the CJB Goražde, to seek shelter in the building's basement during shelling, thereby exposing them to mortal danger, which resulted in one person being killed and three wounded by shelling in mid-August 1992.

Merkez is charged with the unlawful detention of over one hundred civilians, in the premises of the SJB and apartments in the immediate vicinity of the SJB, as well as Bogunić (over thirty persons in the premises of the SJB and over 70 persons in apartments across the street from the SJB building).

The accused are charged with violating the rules of international humanitarian law during the war and armed conflict, and committing the criminal offense of War Crimes against the Civilian Population under the Criminal Code of BiH.

The indictment has been forwarded to the Court of BiH for confirmation.