Cablegate: Icty: Sfor Apprehension of Dusko Sikirica

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001896

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR S/WCI - SCHEFFER/WARRICK, S/CT -
SHEEHAN/BAIR, S/SA - O'BRIEN, DRL - KOH/SPENCER, L -
ANDREWS/MATHESON, L/EUR - LAHNE, INR/WCAD - DONAHUE/MORIN,
EUR/SCE - COUNTRYMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MOPS PHUM BK HR SR NL ICTY
SUBJECT: ICTY: SFOR APPREHENSION OF DUSKO SIKIRICA

REF: A. 99 THE HAGUE 1976
B. 99 SARAJEVO 10160

1. EARLY IN THE MORNING OF JUNE 25, SFOR FORCES IN BOSNIA
DETAINED DUSKO SIKIRICA, A PUBLIC INDICTEE OF THE
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
(ICTY). SIKIRICA ARRIVED IN THE HAGUE AT APPROXIMATELY 14:15
ON JUNE 25 AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE ICTY'S DETENTION
FACILITY IN THE HAGUE.

2. SIKIRICA, A BOSNIAN SERB, WAS THE LEAD INDICTEE IN THE
1995 "SIKIRICA AND OTHERS" INDICTMENT, WHICH FOCUSES ON
ABUSES OF DETAINEES AT THE KERATERM CAMP NEAR THE TOWN OF
PRIJEDOR. SIKIRICA IS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN THE COMMANDER OF
THE CAMP. UNDER THE INDICTMENT AS AMENDED IN 1998, HE IS
CHARGED WITH COMPLICITY IN GENOCIDE, AS WELL AS WELL AS
THIRTEEN ADDITIONAL COUNTS OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, GRAVE
BREACHES OF THE 1949 GENEVA CONVENTIONS, AND VIOLATIONS OF
THE LAWS OR CUSTOMS OF WAR, FOR KILLINGS, TORTURE, SEXUAL
ASSAULTS, AND THE UNLAWFUL CONFINEMENT OF CIVILIANS COMMITTED
BY HIS SUBORDINATES. FOR MOST CHARGES, SIKIRICA IS CHARGED
ON THE BASIS OF HIS SUPERIOR AUTHORITY OVER OTHERS IN THE
CAMP. WITH RESPECT TO ONE INCIDENT, HOWEVER, SIKIRICA IS
CHARGED BOTH ON THE BASIS OF HIS SUPERIOR AUTHORITY AND AS A
DIRECT PARTICIPANT IN THE SUMMARY EXECUTION OF TWENTY
KERATERM DETAINEES AS PUNISHMENT FOR THE ESCAPE OF SIX OTHER
DETAINEES.

3. SIKIRICA WAS ONE OF EIGHT INDIVIDUALS NAMED IN THE
AMENDED "SIKIRICA AND OTHERS" INDICTMENT. ONE OF SIKIRICA'S
CO-INDICTEES UNDER THAT INDICTMENT, ZORAN ZIGIC, IS BEING
TRIED IN THE "KVOCKA AND OTHERS" CASE WITH FOUR OTHER
INDICTEES (MIROSLAV KVOCKA, MLADO RADIC, MILOJICA KOS, AND
DARGOLJUB PRCAC). THAT TRIAL CENTERS MAINLY ON EVENTS AT THE
OMARSKA DETENTION CAMP. TWO OF SIKIRICA'S OTHER CO-INDICTEES
- DAMIR DOSEN AND DRAGAN KULUNDZIJA - ARE ALREADY IN CUSTODY
IN THE HAGUE (REFTELS) AND ARE AWAITING TRIAL UNDER A FURTHER
AMENDED INDICTMENT. THE DOSEN/KULUNDZIJA CASE IS LIKELY TO
COMMENCE SOMETIME THIS FALL. THE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR
(OTP) EXPECTS TO FILE A MOTION SEEKING TO JOIN SIKIRICA TO
THE DOSEN/KULUNDZIJA CASE. THE FOUR OTHER INDICTEES UNDER
THE "SIKIRICA AND OTHERS" INDICTMENT AS AMENDED IN 1998 -
DRAGAN FUSTAR, NENAD BANOVIC, PREDRAG BANOVIC, AND DUSAN
KNEZEVIC - REMAIN AT LARGE.
TOKOLA

© Scoop Media