The Hague Tribunal released former officials of the Security Service of Serbia (SDB) Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic Frenki on the provisional release. They are accused of committing crimes against Croats and Muslims in the territory of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Simatovic will have to return to detention in Scheveningen by August 16, when the summer break in the work of this court officially ends.
Unlike Simatovic, Stanisic will stay at the provisional release at least until September 27, this year.
The Trial Chamber partially accepted the request of Stanisic’s Defense for him to stay in Serbia until prosecutors complete the evidence against him, due to a chronic illness.
The former head of SDB Stanisic and his assistant Simatovic are charged with the prosecution, murders, and forcible transfer of Croatian and Muslim civilians during the war in Croatia and BiH. They are charged with crimes against humanity on four counts, and with violation of the laws and customs of war in the fifth count.
The crimes for which Stanisic and Simatovic are accused were done in a joint criminal enterprise whose aim was the permanent and violent removal of Croats and Muslims from large parts of the territory of Croatia and BiH, in order to achieve domination of Serbs. At the head of the criminal association, according to prosecutors, was the then President of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic.
After the first trial, the Hague Tribunal released Stanisic and Simatovic of all five counts of the indictment. However, the Appellate Chamber adopted the appeal made by the Prosecution, and annulled the verdict and ordered the repeat of the trial.
(Source: klix.ba)
