Croatia charges ex-JNA general

Croatia's Osijek Municipal Court has issued indictments against former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) Security Service Head General Aleksandar Vasiljevic. He is charged with war crimes against prisoners in the Serbian territory. Croatia charges ex-JNA general Even though the prosecution did not state the exact names, Croatian media have reported that Vasiljevic and Lieutenant Colonel Miroslav Zivanovic have been indicted. The two JNA officers are charged with war crimes against prisoners committed in the Serbian territory from May 1991 until May 1992. “Since the accused men are Serbian citizens, they can only be tried for the mentioned crimes before a domestic court,” Serbian Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor Bruno Vekaric told B92. According to the Croatian indictment, Vasiljevic appointed commanders and officers in the JNA prison camps in central Serbia who were in charge of interrogation of prisoners. The Osijek Prosecution claims that he knew “that the prisoners were being killed and tortured contrary to all norms of the international war and humanitarian law, but did not do anything to stop the behavior and punish the perpetrators”. “19 imprisoned and detained persons died from abuse. A large number of persons suffered serious and life-threatening injuries with permanent consequences and a number of women were systematically raped,” Osijek Municipal Prosecutor Davor Petricevic pointed out. The crimes that Vasiljevic is charged with took place in the Begejci and Stajicevo military camps near the town of Zrenjanin and camps in the towns of Sremska Mitrovica, Stara Gradiska and Nis, where prisoners from Croatian towns of Osijek, Karlovac, Stara Gradiska and Slunj had been brought. Stajicevo prison camp (Slobodna Evropa) “Suspects can only stand trial in Serbia” Zivanovic is also accused of command responsibility for five murders and numerous torture acts in the Begejci and Stajicevo camps where he was a commander. The Osijek Prosecution said that about 250 witnesses had been questioned during the investigation and that documentation from the Hague Tribunal had also been used. Osijek prosecutors also interviewed Vasiljevic in Belgrade, with the help from the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution. Vekaric has stated that he will not comment on the case until he receives official files from Croatia. He told B92 that the agreement on mutual extradition of indictees between Serbia and Croatia could not apply to Vasiljevic and Zivanovic because the agreement only referred to people accused of organized crime. This practically means that the accused men can only be tried in Belgrade if the Croatian prosecution requests it and if the Serbian prosecution accepts the case.

Croatia charges ex-JNA general

Even though the prosecution did not state the exact names, Croatian media have reported that Vasiljević and Lieutenant Colonel Miroslav Živanović have been indicted.

The two JNA officers are charged with war crimes against prisoners committed in the Serbian territory from May 1991 until May 1992.

“Since the accused men are Serbian citizens, they can only be tried for the mentioned crimes before a domestic court,” Serbian Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor Bruno Vekarić told B92.

According to the Croatian indictment, Vasiljević appointed commanders and officers in the JNA prison camps in central Serbia who were in charge of interrogation of prisoners.

The Osijek Prosecution claims that he knew “that the prisoners were being killed and tortured contrary to all norms of the international war and humanitarian law, but did not do anything to stop the behavior and punish the perpetrators”.

“19 imprisoned and detained persons died from abuse. A large number of persons suffered serious and life-threatening injuries with permanent consequences and a number of women were systematically raped,” Osijek Municipal Prosecutor Davor Petričević pointed out.

The crimes that Vasiljević is charged with took place in the Begejci and Stajićevo military camps near the town of Zrenjanin and camps in the towns of Sremska Mitrovica, Stara Gradiška and Niš, where prisoners from Croatian towns of Osijek, Karlovac, Stara Gradiška and Slunj had been brought.

“Suspects can only stand trial in Serbia”

Živanović is also accused of command responsibility for five murders and numerous torture acts in the Begejci and Stajićevo camps where he was a commander.

The Osijek Prosecution said that about 250 witnesses had been questioned during the investigation and that documentation from the Hague Tribunal had also been used.

Osijek prosecutors also interviewed Vasiljević in Belgrade, with the help from the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution.

Vekarić has stated that he will not comment on the case until he receives official files from Croatia.

He told B92 that the agreement on mutual extradition of indictees between Serbia and Croatia could not apply to Vasiljević and Živanović because the agreement only referred to people accused of organized crime.

This practically means that the accused men can only be tried in Belgrade if the Croatian prosecution requests it and if the Serbian prosecution accepts the case.