Former Yugoslav security agent transferred to UN war crimes tribunal

A former senior Yugoslav intelligence agent was transferred from Serbia to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague today to face charges of crimes against humanity for murder and ethnic cleansing of Croats and Muslims in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the court said.

Franko Simatovic, 53, also known as “Frenki,” was indicted on 1 May on four counts of crimes against humanity – including persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, murder, deportation and forcible transfer – and one count of violations of the laws or customs of war for murder.

The indictment accuses him of participating in a joint criminal enterprise, with among others, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, now standing trial before the Tribunal, former Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic, already sentenced to 11 years in prison, and two top fugitives, Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic and Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic.

It alleges that between 1991 and 1995, Mr. Simatovic, “acting alone or in concert with members of the joint criminal enterprise, planned, ordered, committed or otherwise aided and abetted the planning, preparation or execution of persecutions of Croats, Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats and other non-Serbs” in Croatia and Bosnia.

The persecutions were committed on the discriminatory grounds of political affiliation, race or religion and included the murder, forcible transfer and deportation of Croats, Bosnian Muslims, Bosnian Croats and other non-Serbs, it adds.