BOSNIAN STATE COURT ORDERED CUSTODY FOR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL NOVAK DJUKIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 10,2007) – The Bosnian State Court issued a decision ordering one month custody for Serbian war crminal Novak Djukic, who is suspected of war crimes against Bosnian civilians.

Under this decision, custody may last until December 7, 2007.

The Bosnian state Prosecutor's Office alleges that, during the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia, on May 25, 1995, in the capacity of Commander of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic ordered the genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers, located on Cerovo Brdo, Vrbak village at the mountain of Ozren, to fire a missile at a location in the centre of the eastern Bosnian city of Tuzla known as „Tuzlanska Kapija.“

As a result of the explosion of the missile, 71 civilians from Tuzla were killed while approximately 240 sustained injuries.Tuzla was declared a safe zone by a Resolution of the United Nations Secutiy Council issued on May 6, 1993.

On the basis of the evidence submitted, the Bosnian State Court concluded that there was grounded suspicion that Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic had committed a war crime.

Further,the Bosnian State Court ordered custody for Serbian war criminal Djukic having found that the evidence pointed to a risk that, if released, he would interfere with the course of the criminal proceedings by influencing witnesses and accessories.

Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic has been arrested earlier this week in the northern Bosnian city of Banja Luka by the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency’s (SIPA).