Former Bosnian Croat leaders granted temporary leave by UN war crimes tribunal
20 February 2008 – Five former senior Bosnian Croat figures facing trial over their actions during the Balkan wars of
the 1990s have been granted temporary release by the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst
crimes of that era.
Judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which sits in The Hague, ordered today
that the five men be released from tomorrow until 4 May, a day before the defence case in their collective trial – known
as the Prlic and others case – is scheduled to begin.
Under the conditions of the release, the accused will reside in Croatia and the authorities in that country will provide
all necessary security measures and ensure the return of the men to the ICTY’s custody. All five are also expected to
appear before the Tribunal for hearings on 17 and 26 March and a pre-defence conference on 21 April.
The men being released are Jadranko Prlic, Bruno Stojic, Slobodan Praljak, Milivoj Petkovic and Valentin Coric, while
the other man facing trial in the case is Berislav Pušic. All six have previously been granted temporarily release from
ICTY detention during earlier court recesses.
The accused, former high-level leaders in the Bosnian Croat wartime entity known as Herceg-Bosna, stand accused of war
crimes committed in 1992 and 1993 against Bosnian Muslims and other non-Croats in south-western and central Bosnia and
Herzegovina, especially the municipalities of Prozor, Gornji Vakuf, Jablanica, Mostar, Ljubuški, Stolac, Capljina and
Vareš.
The many charges include murder, rape, unlawful deportation, imprisonment, cruel treatment, unlawful labour, the wanton
destruction of cities, towns and villages, and persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds.
ENDS