Croatian court wants two ex-JNA officers questioned

The Special Court for War Crimes in Belgrade has been asked to question two retired JNA officers. Croatia’s Ministry of Justice also asked the court to interrogate one member of the security services. Croatian court wants two ex-JNA officers questioned Their statements were sought by the Zadar District Court as part of an investigation launched against Ernest Radjen, a Serb from Benkovac. Radjen is suspected of failing to prevent war crimes against Croat civilians in the village of Skabrnja, near Zadar, in November 1991. Zadar District Court Investigative Judge Vladimir Mikolcevic said that the court had not received the statements from Belgrade that would provide them with information on the composition of the military police in the Krajina region at the time, or on the chain of command, on the basis of which the Zadar court could assess the involvement of Radjen, who was a Military Police commander in 1991. Radjen was arrested on an international warrant in Thessaloniki, Greece, where he worked as a basketball coach. He was remanded in custody until August 30, but if the Belgrade court fails to deliver the required statements, his custody period will be extended. The motion to seek statements from the Belgrade court was proposed by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Zadar. No-one from Skabrnja who testified at the trial recognized Radjen, nor had they seen him at the time or at the scene of the crime. Radjen was extradited to Croatia from Greece in April, and was immediately put into custody. In a statement, the suspect said that he had been in Skarbnja that day, but only after the crime had been committed, as he had been instructed to compile a report on the events in the village. Later he returned to the Benkovac barracks to look after captured civilians from Skabrnja, whom he provided with food, and turned over to the Red Cross. 27 people, mostly members of the so-called People’s Guard Unit, were killed during a skirmish that broke out when a Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) column was ambushed on the road leading away from Skabrnja. A number of civilians also perished during the firefight, though there were also a number of executions. Indictments were filed against 85 individuals, from the highest ranking JNA officers to regular soldiers, as well as some Serb civilians.

Croatian court wants two ex-JNA officers questioned

Their statements were sought by the Zadar District Court as part of an investigation launched against Ernest Rađen, a Serb from Benkovac.

Rađen is suspected of failing to prevent war crimes against Croat civilians in the village of Škabrnja, near Zadar, in November 1991.

Zadar District Court Investigative Judge Vladimir Mikolčević said that the court had not received the statements from Belgrade that would provide them with information on the composition of the military police in the Krajina region at the time, or on the chain of command, on the basis of which the Zadar court could assess the involvement of Rađen, who was a Military Police commander in 1991.

Rađen was arrested on an international warrant in Thessaloniki, Greece, where he worked as a basketball coach. He was remanded in custody until August 30, but if the Belgrade court fails to deliver the required statements, his custody period will be extended.

The motion to seek statements from the Belgrade court was proposed by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Zadar. No-one from Škabrnja who testified at the trial recognized Rađen, nor had they seen him at the time or at the scene of the crime.

Rađen was extradited to Croatia from Greece in April, and was immediately put into custody.

In a statement, the suspect said that he had been in Škarbnja that day, but only after the crime had been committed, as he had been instructed to compile a report on the events in the village. Later he returned to the Benkovac barracks to look after captured civilians from Škabrnja, whom he provided with food, and turned over to the Red Cross.

27 people, mostly members of the so-called People’s Guard Unit, were killed during a skirmish that broke out when a Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) column was ambushed on the road leading away from Škabrnja. A number of civilians also perished during the firefight, though there were also a number of executions.

Indictments were filed against 85 individuals, from the highest ranking JNA officers to regular soldiers, as well as some Serb civilians.