Bosnia's special police arrests seven war crimes suspects

Sokolac (N1)

Seven war crimes suspects have been arrested Wednesday morning by Bosnia's special police on the territory of the country's Serb-dominated region called Republika Srpska.

The arrests were ordered by the State Prosecutor's Office. The seven are suspected of crimes against humanity in Novoseoci village. They are currently on the State Investigation and Protection agency's (SIPA) premises and will be handed over to the Prosecutor's Office.

The suspects are charged with participating in a joint criminal enterprise and are former high-ranking officials of the Sokolac Crisis Staff, army and police, as well as the direct perpetrators of the 1992 murder of Bosniak civilians from the village of Novoseoci, Sokolac municipality.

The crime in question was committed on September 21/22, 1992, when members of Army of the then break-away statelet Republika Srpska attacked the village and separated men from women and children. The men were then transported by military trucks to the location of the dump in the nearby Ivan Polje, where they were brutally killed by gunfire, and buried at the landfill, while the women and children were expelled and transported to the territory of Sarajevo.

the suspects’ names are:

1. Milan Tupajic, born in 1954, Knezina, Sokolac, former head of the Sokolac Crisis Staff.

2. Radomir Obradovic, aka “Dragan”, born in 1950 in Krsevi, Sokolac, former commander of the Sokolac Police.

3. Radislav Krstic, born in 1948, Nedjeljista, Vlasenica, former commander of the 2nd Romanija Motorized Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army, who is serving his sentence in Poland.

4. K.N., born in 1954, member of the 2nd Romanija Motorized Brigade Military Police Company, residing in Canada. His extradition will be requested.

5. Miladin Gasevic, aka “Chirko”, born in 1961, Vidrici, Sokolac, Deputy Commander of the Scout Company of the 2nd Romanija Motorized Brigade.

6. Momir Kezunovic, born in 1957, Vidrici, Sokolac, member of the Scout Company of the 2nd Romanija Motorized Brigade.

7. Branislav Kezunovic, aka “Miki”, born in 1959, Vidrici, Sokolac, member of the Scout Company of the 2nd Romanija Motorized Brigade.

8. Zeljko Gasevic, born in 1968, Sokolac, member of the Scout Company of the 2nd Romanija Motorized Brigade.

9. Jadranko Suka, born in 1957, Sokolac, member of the Scout Company of the 2nd Romanija Motorized Brigade.

The operation began in the morning hours of Wednesday, SIPA said.