Former Bosnian army commander to appear before UN tribunal

A former commander of the Bosnian army charged with the abuse and killing of Serb detainees in Srebrenica in 1993 will make his initial appearance before the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) next week, the UN court said today.

Naser Oric, who was arrested yesterday in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and transferred to the ICTY’s Detention Unit in The Hague, is charged in his individual capacity with two counts of violations of the laws or customs of war and an additional four counts of the same crimes for responsibility of those serving under him. He is schedule to appear before the court on Tuesday.

According to the indictment confirmed on 28 March, Mr. Oric was the commander of the forces of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH) in the Srebrenica area in Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Between 24 September 1992 and 20 March 1993, members of the military police under his command and control detained several Serb individuals in the Srebrenica police station and in the building behind the Srebrenica municipal building.

“These detainees were subjected to physical abuse, serious suffering and serious injury to body and health, and inhumane treatment by the guards and/or by others with the support of the guards. In some instances, prisoners were beaten to death,” the indictment says.

Mr. Oric is also alleged to have known, or had reason to know, “that his subordinates were about to plan, prepare or execute the imprisonment, killing and/or cruel treatment of Serbs detained at the Srebrenica Police Station and the building behind the Srebrenica Municipal Building, or had done so, and he failed to take necessary and reasonable measures to prevent such acts or to punish the perpetrators thereof,” the indictment says.