Dževad Mlaćo and Selmo Cikotić pleaded not quilty for crimes against prisoners of war committed in 1993 in Bugojno.
Mlačo is charged with war crimes against prisoners of war in his capacity as the president of the War Presidency of the Municipality of Bugojno, and Cikotić in his capacity as the commander of the Operative Group West of the Third Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I am not guilty,” said both defendants.
According to the indictment, in 1993, Mlaćo ordered the murder of more than 20 prisoners of Croatian nationality, members of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO), whom he called the “extreme section”. The prisoners, as stated, were brought to the premises of “BH Bank”, where they were beaten by members of the Military Police, after which some of them died.
He ordered that the prisoners marked as extremists be taken to the premises of a motel in Rostovo, and they were killed.
Cikotić is accused, among other things, of failing to take all possible measures to prevent murders and inhumane treatment of these prisoners, even though he had information that allowed him to conclude that his subordinates were preparing to commit such acts, and he did not take measures to initiate criminal proceedings for torture and murder.
Recently, by the first-instance verdict of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cikotić was sentenced to three years in prison for abuse of office.
The beginning of the trial should be scheduled within two months, reports Detektor.
