Edin Vranj, who was arrested in Serbia on suspicion of war crimes on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, more precisely Gorazde, was ordered into one-month detention. It is the decision of the War Crimes Chamber of the Belgrade court, where a hearing was held today.
According to the High Court in Belgrade, the pre-trial judge of the War Crimes Chamber, after hearing the suspect, issued a decision ordering Vranj into custody for up to 30 days, due to the existence of circumstances that indicate that there is a danger that the defendant could escape.
“The suspect and his defense counsel have the right to appeal against the said decision within three days from the receipt of the decision to the criminal extra-trial panel of the Higher Court in Belgrade,” it is stated.
The suspect is charged with committing the criminal offense of War Crimes against Prisoners of War. Vranj is charged with the same case that has already been conducted in the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and closed as far as he is concerned.
As it is known, and what lawyer Vasvija Vidovic spoke for Klix.ba, a thorough investigation was conducted in that case and an indictment was filed.
Edin Vranj’s name was not included in the indictment and he was acquitted of all doubts. The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced yesterday on the occasion of the arrest of Edin Vranj in Serbia, saying that they were not officially informed about it. In the statement, they pointed out that an indictment was filed against several persons in a specific case and the trial is ongoing, while in relation to the reported Edin Vranj and several other persons, on December 26, 2018, an order was issued not to conduct an investigation.
“The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH urgently forwarded the inquiry to the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office, requesting detailed information and forwarding the order not to conduct an investigation, which became final in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the BiH Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
The Serbian Ministry of the Interior arrested Vranj last Saturday at the Uvac border crossing near Priboj on suspicion of having committed war crimes against prisoners of war in the Gorazde area from January 1993 to October 1994. He is charged that in the period from January 1993 to October 1994, as an investigator in the Gorazde camp, he participated in the harassment and beating of prisoners of war of Serbian nationality, who were members of the Army of the Republika Srpska.
Due to this case, BiH withdrew the ambassador from Serbia yesterday, and at the same time the ambassador of Serbia to BiH refused to respond to the invitation of the Presidency of BiH, Klix.ba writes.
