Eight people arrested: Illegal detention and murders of 120 Bosniaks in Prijedor

At the order of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, eight people suspected of war crimes in the Prijedor area have been arrested, Patria reports.

The suspects are under investigation for the illegal deprivation of liberty and murder of around 120 victims, men and boys of Bosniak nationality from the village of Miska Glava in the summer of 1992.

Acting on the order of the prosecutor from the Special Department for War Crimes, and in an operation by SIPA police officers, early this morning in the area of Prijedor and its surroundings, the following suspects were located and deprived of their liberty:

- Slobodan Taranjac, born in 1956 in Prijedor,
- Miodrag Glušac, born in 1960 in Prijedor,
- Ranko Babić, born in 1952 in Prijedor,
- Marinko Praštalo, born in 1963 in Prijedor,
- Ranko Došenović, born in 1960 in Sanski Most,
- Zdravko Panić, born in 1959 in Prijedor,
- Trivo Vukić, born in 1966 in Prijedor,
- Milan Vukić, born in 1951 in Prijedor.

Also, searches are being conducted at several locations used by the suspects.

The aforementioned suspects are under investigation and are charged with having committed the criminal offense of crimes against humanity under Article 172 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the widespread and systematic attack by the army, police, and paramilitary formations directed against the civilian population of Bosniak and Croatian nationality in the area of Prijedor and its surroundings.

They are charged with, as members of the Crisis Staff, army, and police, at the end of July 1992, participating in the illegal capture of around 120 men, including 15 minors, in the area of the village of Miska Glava, who were then taken into detention in the community center, as well as to the nearby stadium where they were tortured and abused for 3 days.

During the detention, between 10-15 detainees were singled out and killed, while the others were taken to the Ljubija site where they were killed by gunfire.

Only a few victims managed to survive the shooting, and their testimonies were crucial in shedding light on this crime.

After the war, the killed victims were found and exhumed from mass graves at the Redak I and Redak II sites, and 10 bodies were found at the Hozića Kamen site in 2016.

After being deprived of their liberty, SIPA police officers will hand over the suspects to the prosecutor in charge, who will question the suspects and then make a decision on filing a motion for detention or prohibition measures in accordance with the law.