13 Serbs indicted for the murder of 27 Bosniaks: They were forced to dig their grave and then shot

The prosecutor from the Special Department for War Crimes of the BiH Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against 13 individuals, who are charged with crimes against humanity in the area of Bosanski Novi municipality in 1992, it was announced from the BiH Prosecutor's Office, reports the Patria News Agency.

The accused are: Babić Ljuban, born in 1962 in Bosanski Novi, Balaban Ranko, born in 1959 in Bosanski Novi, Karalica Rajko, aka “Rajkan“, born in 1968 in Bosanski Novi, Brčin Milenko, born in 1962 in Bosanski Novi, Odžić Mirko, aka “Dragičin“, born in 1960 in Bosanski Novi, Babić Milenko, born in 1958 in Bosanski Novi, Balaban Ostoja, aka “Pajdo“, born in 1950 in Bosanski Novi, Goronja Ratko, aka “Ogi“ and “Rade“, born in 1965 in Bosanski Novi, Reljić Nikola, born in 1965 in Bosanski Novi, Baltić Dragan, born on 07/17/1963 in Bosanski Novi, Baltić Ranko, born in 1960 in Bosanski Novi, Kapetanović Miroslav, aka “Mićo“, born in 1974 in Bosanski Novi, and Grab Ranko, born in 1965 in Bosanski Novi.

The indictment charges the accused with personally and directly participating in the murders, torture, and persecution of the entire civilian Bosniak population from the villages of Ekići and Alići during June 1992, as part of a widespread and systematic attack by the VRS, TO, Military Police, and paramilitary formations, acting as perpetrators of the attack.

During the attack on the mentioned villages and the expulsion of the population from their homes and dwellings, the accused, personally and directly, together with other individuals, committed the murder of 27 male civilians of Bosniak nationality, whom they had previously separated from their families, and beat, tortured, and abused them in front of their children and wives, who witnessed the abuse.

According to the collected evidence, the victims were brought to the execution site and forced to dig their own grave into which they would be thrown, and after that, they were killed by gunfire and buried in a mass grave.

After the commission of the crime, almost the entire Bosniak population was expelled from the area of Bosanski Novi municipality.

The accused are charged with participating in the exhumation of a mass grave in 1996, with the intent to conceal the crime, and throwing most of the remains into the river, which resulted in the bodies of only 9 victims being found at the mass grave site and near the river where they were thrown, while the bodies of the others are still being searched for.

This is the most extensive indictment filed by the BiH Prosecutor's Office to date for crimes committed in the area of Bosanski Novi, and along with the indictment, it is proposed to call about 40 witnesses, of whom 5 will testify with protection measures, and about 300 pieces of evidence have been submitted, with which the prosecution will prove the guilt of the accused.

The indictment has been forwarded to the BiH Court for confirmation.