Indictment filed against Omer Borić for crimes against humanity in the Konjic area

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The prosecutor of the Special Department for War Crimes of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has filed an indictment against Omer Borić, born in 1948 in Konjic, a citizen of Austria.

The accused is charged that, during a widespread and systematic attack on the civilian population of Serbian ethnicity in the area of the town of Konjic and surrounding villages, in his capacity as commander of the Municipal Staff of the Territorial Defense of Konjic, he acted contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions on the protection of civilian persons during wartime.

The accused is charged that, together with other members of the Municipal Staff of the Territorial Defense of Konjic, he knew or should have known that his subordinate members of the army, police, and other formations were preparing to commit and had committed murders, abuse, beatings, unlawful detention in camps, torture, and other inhumane acts against civilians of Serbian ethnicity, and as a superior he failed to take measures to prevent the committed crimes or punish the perpetrators.

The indictment cites the unlawful deprivation of liberty and persecution of several hundred civilians of Serbian ethnicity, of both sexes and various ages, who were settled in villages with a majority Serbian population, the taking of detained civilians to the school in Bradina, as well as the Čelebići and Musala camps, the murder of at least 43 persons during the attack on the village of Bradina, of which the remains of 36 victims were found and exhumed, including the murder in a particularly cruel manner of victim Kuljanin Sretko, and the murders of Gligorević Boro and Kureš Bogdan, as well as the burning of the Orthodox church in Bradina, all family homes and economic facilities, and the looting of property of the Serbian population.

The accused is charged with having committed the criminal offense of Crimes against Humanity under Article 172 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Prosecutor's Office will prove the allegations of the indictment by calling 167 witnesses and one expert witness and submitting approximately 470 pieces of material evidence.

The indictment has been forwarded for confirmation to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.