Srebrenica: Six Persons Indicted for Murder of 40 Bosniaks and Roma and Persecution of Over 1,000

The Prosecutor of the Special Department for War Crimes of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has filed an indictment against: Blagomir Jovanović, aka “Mićo”, born in 1959 in Srebrenica, Milenko Čanić, aka “Čano”, born in 1947 in Srebrenica, Stevan Lukić, aka “Stevo”, born in 1947 in Srebrenica, Dragojlo Filipović, aka “Đido”, born in 1949 in Srebrenica, Radomir Katanić, aka “Rašo”, born in 1948 in Srebrenica, and Slavko Milovanović, born in 1950 in Srebrenica, the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced, Patria reports. 

The accused are charged with, in the period from April to August 1992, as officials of the Crisis Staff of the Serbian municipality of Skelani, participating in a widespread and systematic attack by military, police and paramilitary forces, with the aim of killing, forcibly relocating and persecuting the Bosniak and Roma population from several places in the wider area of Srebrenica and Skelani.

The persecutions were carried out through organized attacks on villages and settlements, forcible separation of men and the killing of a large number of persons by gunfire, including underage victims. Also, the persecutions were carried out by beating and physically abusing victims, destroying and burning property, confiscating personal documents and valuables, and forcibly expelling women and children towards Bajina Bašta, Republic of Serbia.

In these attacks, at least 40 victims were killed, and at least 1,000 victims of Bosniak and Roma nationality from the Skelani area and its surroundings were persecuted. The accused are charged with the criminal offense of crimes against humanity.

The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina will prove the allegations from the indictment by calling around 100 witnesses and expert witnesses and submitting extensive evidentiary material. The indictment has been forwarded to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.