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27 January 2000

Text: ICTY on Detention of Indicted War Criminal Mitar Vasiljevic

(Accused of participating in mass murder, torture of Bosnian Muslims)
(730)
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
issued a press release welcoming the detention by members of SFOR of
Mitar Vasiljevic, who was indicted in 1998 for his part in incidents
of "mass murder, torture and other cruel treatment" of Bosnian Muslims
--including women, children and the elderly -- in and around Visegrad
in eastern Bosnia.
Vasiljevic is accused of taking part "in the mass murder of
approximately 135 Bosnian Muslim civilians by locking them inside two
houses and setting them on fire. In one of the incidents, 46 members
of one family were killed."
Following is the text of the ICTY press release:
(begin text)
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Press Release 
The Hague, 25 January 2000
MITAR VASILJEVIC DETAINED BY SFOR IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
welcomes the detention of Mitar Vasiljevic by elements of SFOR on
Tuesday 25 January 2000.
Mitar Vasiljevic, in an indictment that was confirmed and sealed on 26
October 1998, has been charged on the basis of his individual criminal
responsibility with seven counts of crimes against humanity and seven
counts of violations of the laws or customs of war for his alleged
participation in the mass murder, torture and other cruel treatment of
the Bosnian Muslim population, including women, children and the
elderly, in and around the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad, between
May 1992 and October 1994.
The Accused
According to the indictment, Mitar Vasiljevic was born on 25 August
1954, in the village of Djurevici, in the municipality of Visegrad.
Before the war, he worked as a waiter at the Hotel Panos in Visegrad.
After the war started, Vasiljevic joined the so-called 'White Eagles'
paramilitary unit.
The Charges
Mitar Vasiljevic is charged with:
-- Extermination, as a crime against humanity for the murder of "a
significant number of Bosnian Muslim civilians, including women,
children and the elderly".
-- He is additionally charged with murder, inhumane acts and violence
to life and person as counts of crimes against humanity and counts of
violations of the laws or customs of war for his direct involvement in
the mass murder of approximately 135 Bosnian Muslim civilians by
locking them inside two houses and setting them on fire. In one of the
incidents, 46 members of one family were killed.
In one of these incidents the indictment charges that,
"Mitar Vasiljevic and another member of the paramilitary unit locked
and barricaded the people in the house to prevent their escape. Later,
as Mitar Vasiljevic stood behind him the other member of the
paramilitary unit opened the door, placed an incendiary device floor
and lit the fuse. Within seconds, the entire house was engulfed in
flames and it continued to burn for the next hour.
Some people tried to jump out of the windows, but the other member of
the paramilitary unit stood outside shooting at them while Mitar
Vasiljevic shined a light on the victims.
The cries and screams of the people in the house could be heard for
approximately two hours after the fire began. All but six of the
people locked in the house were killed. The victims either died in the
fire or were shot trying to escape. Among the victims were several
young children and babies,"
-- Persecution, as a crime against humanity for,
- "the murder of dozens of Bosnian Muslims and other non-Serb
civilians;
- the cruel and inhumane treatment...including severe beatings over an
extended period of time of Bosnian Muslims and other non-Serb
civilians;
- the unlawful detention or confinement of Bosnian Muslim and other
non-Serb civilians under inhumane conditions;
- the harassment, humiliation, terrorisation and psychological abuse
of Bosnian Muslim and other non-Serb civilians; and
- the theft and destruction of personal property of Bosnian Muslims
and other non-Serb civilians."
-- Finally, Vasiljevic is charged with the murder of five Bosnian
Muslim men on the banks of the River Drina.
A time and date for initial appearance, at which he will enter a plea
to the charges against him, will be set in due course.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State)