Enes Zukanović and nine other defendants pleaded not guilty to war crimes committed in the Ilidža settlements of Hrasnica, Sokolović-Kolonija and Butmir from May 1992 to October 1995.
In addition to Zukanović, the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Ilidža, Fikret Prevljak, former commander of the Fourth Motorized Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH), Emir Redžović, former commander of the 104th Motorized Brigade of the ABiH, Vahid Alađuz, former assistant commander for security in the brigade, former commander of the 2nd battalion of this brigade Senahid Godinjak, former members of the brigade Mustafa Gegaj and Mujo Vatreš, former commander of the Mixed Artillery Division in the Mirsad Tuzlak brigade, then Rasim Okerić, who is charged in the indictment as the warden of the camp in Hrasnica, and Vahid Muharemović, who is charged as the president of the Executive Board of the Ilidža Municipality.
They are charged with committing war crimes against around a hundred civilians of Serbian nationality, including women, elderly people and minors, who were illegally detained in camps and detention facilities in the Hrasnica area, as well as crimes against prisoners of Serbian nationality who were taken to forced labor in the war zone, where they were exposed to mortal injuries and wounds, or were killed by guards, reports BIRN BiH.
According to an earlier statement by the Court, they knowingly, willingly and with consent enabled, permitted, agreed to and organized the unlawful imprisonment and abuse of Serb civilians and prisoners of war members of the Army of Republika Srpska in the premises of the “Aleksa Šantić” Elementary School, then in the garages at 11 Igmanskih partizanskih bataljona Street and in the basement of an unfinished residential building at bb Alekse Bojovića Brke Street. These facilities, the statement says, had the character of a camp and were under the jurisdiction of the Ilidža Armed Forces Headquarters.
The start of the trial will be set within the legally prescribed deadline.
