"This is the first time the Tribunal has referred one of its indictments to a national jurisdiction," the ICTY said in a statement.
Stankovic os charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The indictment alleges that from 3 August 1992 until 10 October 1992, Stankovic, together with other Serb soldiers, was in charge of a house used to detain Muslim women who were subjected to repeated rape and sexual assault. His alleged participation included assigning the women and girls to specific Serb soldiers to be raped and otherwise sexually assaulted. The indictment further alleges that he personally raped at least two women, one of whom he claimed as his own, in order to repeatedly rape her over a three month time span.
He is charged on the basis of individual criminal responsibility.
The original indictment against Stankovic was issued in 1996 and included seven other persons. Stankovic was apprehended by the NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Foca on 9 July 2002 and was transferred to the Tribunal the following day.