ZAGREB, Jan 28(Hina) - Former Croatian Defence Council (HVO) commander Ivica Rajic, who is charged with war crimes against Muslims in the Vares area of central Bosnia, is due to appear before the UN criminal tribunal in The Hague on
Thursday to enter a plea under an amended indictment.
ZAGREB, Jan 28(Hina) - Former Croatian Defence Council (HVO) commander
Ivica Rajic, who is charged with war crimes against Muslims in the
Vares area of central Bosnia, is due to appear before the UN criminal
tribunal in The Hague on Thursday to enter a plea under an amended
indictment.#L#
Rajic, 46, also known as Viktor Andric, was arrested in the southern
Croatian city of Split on 5 April 2003 and duly transferred to The
Hague. At his initial appearance before the tribunal on 27 June 2003,
he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Under the initial indictment, which was confirmed on 29 August 1995,
Rajic was accused of ordering an attack on the civilian population of
the village of Stupni Do near Vares, in which at least 16 Muslims were
killed and the village destroyed. The attack was carried out on 23
October 1993 by the HVO Second Operations Group under his command.
Following the attack on Stupni Do, the HVO, fearing a counter-attack
from the Muslim-led Bosnian army, urged the Croats to leave Vares,
after which several thousand of them fled to Kiseljak.
Under four counts of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and two
counts of violations of the laws and customs of war, Rajic was charged
with deliberate murder, attack on civilians and destruction of the
village.
The amended indictment, filed on 14 January 2004, additionally charges
Rajic with looting, sexual abuse and the arrest, maltreatment and
confinement in inhumane conditions of 250 Muslims in Vares in October
1993. The number of the victims of the attack on Stupni Do was
increased to 37.
The amended indictment also says that on 27 December 1993 Rajic
informed the HVO that he was changing his name to Viktor Andric, and
that on 30 December he was relieved of his duties in the HVO Command
and replaced by Viktor Andric, whereby Rajic continued to operate
through his former chain of command.
The decision on Rajic's dismissal was brought on 10 November 1993 at a
meeting in Zagreb involving also the then president of Croatia, Franjo
Tudjman, according to the amended indictment.
Rajic will enter his plea before a trial chamber presided over by
Judge Liu Daqun. The prosecution will be represented by Kenneth Scott
and the defence by Zagreb lawyer Zeljko Olujic.
(Hina) vm