The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina filed an indictment against three people, who are accused of war crimes in Bugojno. Among the accused is Selmo Cikotić, former Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The indictment was also brought against Mlaćo Dževad (1954) and Tahir Granić (1959).
The defendants are charged that during the war in BiH and the conflict between the RBiH Army and the HVO, the accused Mlaćo in his capacity as the president of the War Presidency of the Municipality of Bugojno, the accused Cikotić in his capacity as the commander of the OG Zapad of the RBiH Army and the accused Granić as the commander of the 307th Brigade of the RBiH Army acted contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Conventions on the Protection of Prisoners of War during War and committed the criminal offense of War Crimes against Prisoners of War.
The indictment states that the accused Dževad Mlaćo ordered the killing of prisoners of Croatian nationality, in such a way that a list of prisoners to be killed was drawn up, and then the prisoners were taken to the premises of BH Bank, where death occurred as a result of torture, beatings and abuse of three prisoners, after which the remaining prisoners were taken to the Rostovo mountain range by members of the Military Police and the RBiH Army, killed at locations that the accused personally determined and visited, after which their bodies were removed and hidden.
After the war, the bodies of four of the murdered were found and exhumed, and the bodies of the remaining victims are still being searched for, more than 30 years after the crime was committed.
The defendants Cikotić and Granić are accused of having, as commanders of the RBiH Army, issued orders to take captured persons of Croatian nationality, at gunpoint, to perform forced labor on the front lines, where they were exposed to dangers to their lives, as “human shields”. as a result of which two prisoners were killed and more were wounded, and the accused Cikotić also failed to prevent the beatings, torture and murder of the captured members of the HVO, and although he had information about the crimes committed, he did not take measures to prevent them and punish the perpetrators.
According to the charges, the Prosecutor’s Office will provide evidence by calling 62 witnesses, including two who will testify with protective measures, then two expert witnesses, as well as by submitting around 780 pieces of evidence.
The indictment was forwarded to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for confirmation.
