Sunday, September 2, 2007

BOSNIAN STATE COURT ORDERED ONE MONTH CUSTODY FOR SERBIAN WAR CRIMES SUSPECT DJORDJISLAV ASKRABA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2007) - The Bosnian State Court rendered a decision ordering one month custody to a Serbian living in Bosnia,Đorđislav Aškraba, who is suspected of crimes against humanity.

In its motion seeking custody orders, the Bosnian Prosecutor’s Office stated that there is grounded suspicion that in the period between April and September 1992,in the early stages of the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia,Askraba was a member of the genocidal Serbian aggressor's formations and performed the duties of warden at the Barutni magacin concentration camp in the Bosnian town of Kalinovik.

This concentration camp in Kalinovik was used by the Serbian aggressor to detain Bosnian civilians, who were subjected to starvation, physical mistreatment and mass killings.

The Prosecutor stated that on several occasions,Askraba took detainees out of the camp and handed them over to other Serbian aggressor's soldiers, following which they disappeared.

Following a public hearing the Court found that, on the basis of the evidence submitted, there is grounded suspicion that Askraba committed crimes against humanity.

The Bosnian State Court concluded that the basis for an order of custody was established based on a substantial risk that, if released, the suspect would interfere with the criminal proceedings by influencing witnesses and co-perpetrators.

The Bosnian State Court also issued a decision refusing as unfounded the Prosecutor’s motion for an order of custody for another Serbian living in Bosnia,Neđo Zeljaja, who is suspected of Crimes against humanity.

However, due to special circumstances of the case, the Bosnian State Court imposed restrictive measures on the Serbian war crimes suspect, requiring him to report daily to the Kalinovik Police Station.

EUFOR COMMANDER VISITED AMMUNITION STORAGE SITE AT DUŽI NEAR TREBINJE

TREBINJE, Bosnia (September 2,2007) - The Commander of the European Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR) Rear Admiral Hans-Jochen Witthauer, visited the ammunition storage site at Duži,near the southern Bosnian town of Trebinje.

Sites like the one in Duži, which are located in communities all over Bosnia ,house thousands of tonnes of excess ammunition. These sites are considered by EUFOR to pose a threat to the safe and secure environment and this threat has been intensified due to the extreme heat experienced in Bosnia this summer,EUFOR stated.

EUPM COLLECTED WEAPONS IN ZENICA-DOBOJ CANTON

ZENICA, Bosnia (September 2,2007) - The European Union Police Mission (EUPM) representatives visited a collecting point for weapons in Zenica.

A significant number of Bosnian citizens handed over a large number of machineguns, rifles, rocket launchers, mortars, pistols, revolvers, mines, hand grenades and other explosives and explosive ammunition.

EUPM brought in a total of 31,000 Bosnian Marks to offer citizens who handed over the weapons and explosive devices.

AUSTRIAN POLICE ARRESTED DUTCH CITIZEN WANTED IN BOSNIA

VIENNA, Austria (September 2,2007) Austrian police yesterday morning arrested a Dutch national wanted in Bosnia, Austrian media reported.

The man, who has not been named, was detained at a regular border checkpoint in Spielfeld, Styria, when officers there discovered a Bosnian warrant for the man's arrest, police in the southern Austrian city of Graz said.

The man was attempting to enter Austria by car from Slovenia.

Austrian broadcaster ORF reported that the man was wanted for alleged murder. Austrian police declined to confirm the report, saying only that the man was wanted in connection with a crime committed in 1992