6 people arrested for war crimes against Bosniaks and Croats in Kotor Varoš

By order of the prosecutor from the Special Department for War Crimes of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, members of SIPA, in the area of Banja Luka, Kotor Varoš and Prnjavor, after a detailed planned and prepared operation, arrested six people, reports the Patria News Agency.

The arrested individuals are Slobodan Župljanin “Bebac”, born on 17.11.1957 in Maslovare, Kotor Varoš, Boško Peulić, born on 14.01.1947 in Donji Vijčani, Prnjavor, Aleksandar Petrović“Saša”, born on 28.12.1970 in Kotor Varoš, Manojlo Tepić, „Mane”, born on 16.05.1960 in Postolje, Kotor Varoš, Janko Trivić, born on 04.06.1949 in the village of Jošavka, Čelinac, Nedeljko Đekanović, born on 15.11.1958 in Grabovica, Kotor Varoš.

These suspects are under investigation for war crimes committed against victims of Bosniak and Croat nationality in the area of Kotor Varoš, during 1992, and also in the later period.

They are accused of, in their capacity as high-ranking military officials (brigade and battalion commanders), orchestrating the expulsion of around 5000 people of Bosniak and Croat nationality from Kotor Varoš, within which at least 300 people were killed, as well as torture, abuse, rape, unlawful detention, looting, and other forms of crimes.

The committed crimes resulted in the expulsion of almost the entire population of Bosniak and Croat nationality from the area of Kotor Varoš, who to this day have not returned in large numbers to their pre-war homes and live displaced throughout BiH and the world.

Concurrently with the arrests, searches were conducted of the houses, apartments, facilities, business premises, and vehicles used by the suspects.

Given that among the suspects are former members of the army and police who possess weapons, as well as individuals prone to committing criminal acts, who might offer resistance, this operation was planned and executed with the highest security measures implemented by members of SIPA and the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

The aforementioned activities are the result of a multi-month and comprehensive investigation, in which the prosecutor and expert staff of the BiH Prosecutor's Office interviewed hundreds of witnesses and spent many days in the field intensively collecting evidence.

Among the listed suspects are individuals who hold Serbian citizenship, and therefore, for a number of suspects, a custody measure will be requested to ensure their presence during the proceedings.

Following the arrests and the executed operation, the suspects will be transferred to the BiH Prosecutor's Office, where a team of prosecutors, associates, and expert staff has been formed to conduct further activities, including questioning the suspects and submitting proposals for the determination of custody measures or prohibition measures in accordance with the law.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office, together with partner agencies, continues its activities to uncover and prosecute war crimes committed in all parts of BiH, relating to high-level responsible suspects, in which activities no one will be untouchable, it was announced from the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

This is a Category 2 case, for which the investigation was initiated at the Hague Prosecutor's Office and subsequently transferred for further processing to the BiH Prosecutor's Office.