War criminal Stojan Župljanin requests early release: Will Bosnian authorities provide guarantees for the Prijedor executioner?

(Patria) - Hague convict Stojan Župljanin has requested early release, Istraga.ba reports.

He has asked security agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina to issue guarantees in order to meet the prerequisites for early release.

In 2016, Župljanin, together with Mišo Stanišić, was finally sentenced to 22 years in prison for persecution as a crime against humanity, committed through murders, torture, unlawful detention, creating and maintaining inhumane living conditions, forced displacement and deportation, looting of property, wanton destruction of cities and villages, including destruction or deliberate damage to religious and other cultural objects, and imposing and maintaining restrictive and discriminatory measures.

According to the Chamber's finding, both Stanišić and Župljanin are also responsible for murder and torture as violations of the laws and customs of war. Župljanin was also found guilty of extermination, qualified as a crime against humanity.

During the period covered by the judgment, Stojan Župljanin was the head of the regional Security Services Center in Banja Luka, and from May to July 1992, a member of the Crisis Staff of the Autonomous Region of Krajina (ARK).

The initial indictment against Mićo Stanišić and Stojan Župljanin was filed before the International Court in The Hague in 2005 and 1999, respectively. Mićo Stanišić surrendered and was transferred to the jurisdiction of the International Court on March 11, 2005.

Stojan Župljanin was arrested by Serbian authorities near Belgrade in June 2008, and was transferred to the Detention Unit of the International Court on June 21, 2008. The Trial Chamber approved the Prosecution's request to join these two cases in September 2008.

Both accused pleaded not guilty to all charges on November 20, 2008. The trial began on September 14, 2009, and concluded on June 1, 2012, when they were convicted at first instance. The final judgment was rendered in 2016.

According to information from Istraga, Župljanin submitted his request for early release on December 28 last year, and the Court in The Hague has not yet ruled on it.

In his request, he asked to be granted early release on February 11, 2023, the day after he had served two-thirds of his prison sentence. Since then, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals has not decided on his request.

In his request, Župljanin stated that he is "ready to reintegrate into society and is in good health." He emphasized that he comes from a mixed family and that during his sentence he "maintained good relations with prisoners, regardless of their nationality."

According to information from Istraga, the authorities of the RS plan for their officials in the Council of Ministers of BiH and security institutions of BiH to sign guarantees that could be relevant to the decision on early release.

Stojan Župljanin is serving his sentence in a prison in Poland.