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UN tribunal welcomes Russia's arrest of Bosnian Serb man after nine years at large

UN tribunal welcomes Russia's arrest of Bosnian Serb man after nine years at large

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The International Criminal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) today welcomed the arrest in Russia of Dragan Zelenovic, a Bosnian Serb military police sub-commander who has been accused of major crimes, including individual cases of rape, organizing and taking part in gang rape and removing women to locations to be sexually assaulted and tortured.

ICTY said it has sent the authorities in the Russian Federation an official request for his extradition. According to the indictment, Mr. Zelenovic has been charged with seven counts of crimes against humanity and seven counts of violations of the laws or customs of war.

Since Mr. Zelenovic was indicted along with several other Bosnian Serbs in June 1996, he has been at large. In April 2001 the Prosecutor filed an amended charge against him and Gojko Jankovic.

The indictment alleges that, following the Serbian takeover of the town of Foca, south-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in April 1992, military police, accompanied by local and other soldiers, started arresting Muslim and Croat residents. During the arrests many civilians were killed, beaten, or subjected to sexual assault.

As Muslim women, children and the elderly were detained in houses, apartments and motels in Foca and in surrounding villages, many were subjected to humiliating and degrading conditions, brutal beatings and sexual assault, including rape. Several woman were detained in houses and apartments used as brothels, operated by groups of mostly paramilitary soldiers.