Three persons arrested for war crime in Srebrenica

Acting on the order of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) this morning (January 4, 2016) deprived three persons of their liberty in the area of Tuzla on suspicion of war crimes.

The persons deprived of liberty are Arifović Izet, nicknamed "Ćiza", Smajlović Suad, nicknamed "Šošon", and Salihović Amir, nicknamed "Arkan".

The aforementioned suspects are under investigation for having, as members of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, acted contrary to the provisions of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions on the protection of civilian persons during war in the area of Srebrenica.

The suspects are charged with, on July 12, 1992, during an attack on the village of Zalazje, after which a group of eight civilians of Serbian ethnicity, with their hands tied, who had previously surrendered, along with four dead bodies, were brought on the bed of a truck to the police station in Srebrenica, suspect Izet Arifović, by firing a firearm from close range, killed one civilian of Serbian ethnicity, and suspect Salihović took the remaining prisoners away on the truck in an unknown direction, after which they were never seen alive, and after the war, the remains of some of the victims were found and exhumed, while the remains of others are still being sought.

Suspects Izet Arifović and Suad Smajlović are charged with, after the arrival of the truck, suspect Arifović brought two civilians of Serbian ethnicity out of the police station, then took an automatic rifle and by firing a firearm from close range killed two civilians, and after their bodies were loaded onto the truck, suspect Smajlović, noticing that one of the victims showed signs of life, fired a burst, thus killing two captured civilians.

Izet Arifović is also suspected of having, on June 21, 1992, in the place of Ratkovići, committed the murder of a civilian of Serbian ethnicity, Prodanović Živan, who had previously handed over his weapon and was sitting with his hands tied, after which the suspect approached him, ordered him to stand up, and killed him by firing a firearm.

Suspect Smajlović is charged with, on July 12, 1992, on the bed of a truck where the bodies of killed civilians of Serbian ethnicity were located, as well as live prisoners, firing a burst from a firearm at the bodies of the killed.

Among the captured civilians of Serbian ethnicity were Simić Branko, Simić Petko, Rakić Miodrag, Tubić Miladin, Cvjetinović Ivan, Gligić Nedeljko, Jeremić Marko, Gligorić Ljubiša, and Vujadinović Dragomir.

The suspects are under investigation and are charged with having committed the criminal offense of war crimes against the civilian population.

After the deprivation of liberty, police officers of SIPA will bring the suspects to the prosecutor in charge, who will question the suspects and then make a decision on further activities.