Bosnian Serb agrees to plead guilty to persecutions – UN tribunal

A Bosnian Serb prison guard accused of torturing and killing detainees at the Keraterm camp has agreed to plead guilty to one count of crimes against humanity in exchange for having other charges against him dropped, the United Nations tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said today.

According to the negotiated plea agreement between Predrag Banovic and the Office of the Prosecutor for the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Mr. Banovic would agree to plead guilty to count one of the consolidated indictment for persecutions in exchange for the dismissal of the remaining four charges.

Mr. Banovic and his twin brother, Nenad, were arrested in November 2001 in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. They were accused of participating in the abuse, beating, torture and killing of detainees in Keraterm camp, where they regularly performed guard duties.

“Severe beatings, torture, killings, sexual assault, and other forms of physical and psychological abuse were commonplace at Keraterm camp,” the indictment said. “The camp guards and others who came to the camps used all types of weapons and instruments to beat and otherwise physically abuse the detainees.” At a minimum, hundreds of detainees, whose identities were known and unknown, did not survive.

Mr. Banovic was originally charged with 13 counts of crimes against humanity, including persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, inhumane acts, murder and torture, as well as 12 counts of violations of the laws or customs of war, including outrages upon personal dignity, murder, torture and cruel treatment.