Suspected war criminal Mitar Rasevic detained by UN court

Mitar Rasevic, a suspected war criminal facing charges of murder and torture, has been transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague.

The indictment against Mr. Rasevic alleges that he was involved in the occupation of the Bosnian town of Foca in 1992 when non-Serbs – mostly civilian – were rounded up and detained. At the time, the suspect was the commander of the KP Dom guards who “used prepared lists to select detainees who were to be beaten.” The prisoners were assaulted with “batons, rifle butts, knives and tools.” A “substantial” number of the selected detainees never returned from the beatings and are still missing.

Mr. Rasevic is charged with seven counts of crimes against humanity, including persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds, torture, inhumane acts, murder, imprisonment and enslavement. Other charges against him include wilfully causing serious injury to body or health and wilful killing.