SARAJEVO, Sept 24 (Hina) - Bosnian army war-time commander Sefer Halilovic, indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY), will fly to The Hague on Tuesday after he decided to turn himself to the Tribunal voluntarily. The government
of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Federation on Monday confirmed the ICTY had served an indictment against Halilovic to Sarajevo. At its closed-door session, the Croat-Muslim entity's government discussed the indictment, confirming that Halilovic, the incumbent federal minister in charge of refugees and social welfare, was accused by the ICTY of war crimes. According to a statement issued after the session, the federal government praised Halilovic for his readiness to surrender voluntarily and travel to The Hague. The government also agreed this was the best path towards the establishment of possible individual guilt and responsibility for war crimes. It reiterated its full support to
SARAJEVO, Sept 24 (Hina) - Bosnian army war-time commander Sefer
Halilovic, indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY), will fly
to The Hague on Tuesday after he decided to turn himself to the
Tribunal voluntarily.
The government of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Federation on Monday
confirmed the ICTY had served an indictment against Halilovic to
Sarajevo. At its closed-door session, the Croat-Muslim entity's
government discussed the indictment, confirming that Halilovic,
the incumbent federal minister in charge of refugees and social
welfare, was accused by the ICTY of war crimes.
According to a statement issued after the session, the federal
government praised Halilovic for his readiness to surrender
voluntarily and travel to The Hague. The government also agreed
this was the best path towards the establishment of possible
individual guilt and responsibility for war crimes. It reiterated
its full support to the work of the ICTY and its readiness to
cooperate with this tribunal.
The government expressed its thanks to Halilovic for successfully
performing his task as refugee minister. The statement, however,
gave no explanation as to whether Halilovic offered his resignation
or his present status in this government.
"I can confirm that Sefer Halilovic will depart for The Hague on
Tuesday, accompanied by his lawyer," the federal justice minister,
Zvonko Mijan, told reporters after the government's session.
Mijan said Sarajevo had received a sealed indictment about the
Halilovic case. "Only ICTY can reveal the full content of the
indictment, and I can only say that Halilovic is charged on the
basis of his commanding responsibility," the minister added.
Halilovic (aged 49) has to date been the highest-ranking war-time
commander of the Bosnian army, who is going to be tried by the UN
tribunal over war crimes committed against Bosnian Croats during
the Croat-Muslim conflict in 1993.
Although the content of the indictment is not to be made public
until Halilovic's arrival at the Scheveningen prison, Sarajevo
media speculate he is likely to be tried for the killings of 31
civilians and some Croat (HVO) soldiers in the village of Grabovica
in Herzegovina, in September 1993.
When those atrocities were perpetrated Halilovic was at the helm of
the Bosnian army's general staff. He was sent on the ground in
Herzegovina shortly after having been replaced by Rasim Delic as
the military chief-of-staff.
In his media interviews and public statements, Halilovic asserted
it was General Delic who gave the green light for the entire
operation in Herzegovina, whereas he himself took all the necessary
measures to punish the perpetrators of the crime in Grabovica.
According to testimonies of various witnesses, the killings in
Grabovica were committed by units commanded by Ramiz Delalic alias
Celo and Zulfikar Alispago alias Zuka.
Delalic has so far had several contacts with ICTY investigators,
and is currently serving a six-month-long prison sentence in the
central Bosnian city of Zenica for assaulting a police officer.
Alispago, who is at large, arrogantly declined to comment on the
possibility of his hand-over to The Hague.
(hina) ms