FEDERATION POLICE ARREST BOSNIAN CROAT SUSPECTED OF WAR CRIMES

KISELJAK/SARAJEVO, Aug 28 (Hina) - The police forces of Bosnia- Herzegovina's Croat-Muslim federation arrested a Bosnian Croat accused of war crimes against civilians, in Kiseljak near Sarajevo on Monday. The suspect, Dominik Ilijasevic, is a former commander of the special unit 'Maturice', which during the war in Bosnia- Herzegovina was part of the Croat Defence Council (HVO) brigade 'Ban Josip Jelacic' from Kiseljak. Ilijasevic was taken before the Zenica Canton Court investigating judge, who issued an indictment against him on August 9 this year. Ilijasevic was arrested by federal anti-terrorist troops, who were assisted by French Stabilisation Force members, who held all roads leading to Kiseljak and local cross-roads blocked for an hour. Several shots could be heard during the operation, but there has been no official information on who fired them or whether anyone has been injured. There has been no official information on whether the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague has issued an indictment against Ilijasevic. However, the Sarajevo media have been speculating about this possibility for several years, directly accusing Ilijasevic of war crime against Bosniak civilians in the village Stupni Dol in the central Bosnian municipality of Vares in November 1993. Ilijasevic was sent into retirement as colonel after the end of the war. (hina) jn rml