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Press Release . Communiqué de presse
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
CC/PIU/366-E
The Hague, 30 November 1998
THE OMARSKA AND KERATERM CASES:
FURTHER INITIAL APPEARANCE ON 10 DECEMBER 1998 OF DEFENDANTS RADIC, KVOCKA, ZIGIC AND KOS
The indictments against the accused have been amended in order to consolidate and reformulate the charges
On 10 December 1998, Trial Chamber III (Judge May (Presiding), Judge Bennouna and Judge Robinson) will hold a hearing to enable the accused, Mladen Radic, Miroslav Kvocka, Zoran Zigic and Milojica Kos to enter a plea to the new charges brought against them in an amended indictment issued on 9 November 1998.
This hearing is public and begins at 10.00 a.m.
The amended indictment was confirmed by Judge Vohrah, following a request by the Prosecutor.
Background on the amended indictment
The amended indictment consolidates into one single indictment the charges which were initially brought against the four accused in two separate indictments, namely the Omarska indictment and the Keraterm indictment, issued on 13 February 1995 and 21 July 1995 respectively.
Like Radic, in the new indictment Kvocka and Kos are not only held responsible for acts allegedly committed under their responsibility ("superior responsibility"), they are also held responsible for their alleged individual participation ("individual responsibility") in the crimes charged against them. Zigic is only charged with regard to his individual criminal responsibility.
The amended indictment contains new charges against all four accused. All of them are now accused of "persecutions of Bosnian Muslims, Bosnian Croats and other non-Serbs in the Prijedor area, on political, racial or religious grounds. The persecutions included the following means: murder…, torture and beating…, sexual assault and rape…, harassment, humiliation and psychological abuse…,confinement…". Such persecutions are qualified as a Crime against humanity (Article 5 of the Statute).
All charges against the four accused for Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (Article 2 of the Statute) have been withdrawn from the indictment.
Background on the accused
According to the indictment, Miroslav Kvocka was for a short time the commander of the camp prior to becoming one of the two deputies to @eljko Meakic, the camp commander. Mladen Radic and Milojica Kos (aka Krle) were shift commanders who supervised one of the three shifts of guards that operated the camp.
Named in both the initial Omarska and Keraterm indictments, Zoran Zigic was allegedly among those who frequently entered the camps for the purpose of abusing, beating, torturing and/or killing detainees.
Miroslav Kvocka and Mladen Radic were detained by members of the SFOR forces on 8 April 1998, and transferred into the custody of the International Tribunal.
Milojica Kos was detained by members of the SFOR forces on 28 May 1998 and immediately transferred into the custody of the International tribunal.
Zoran Zigic voluntarily surrendered on 16 April 1998.
Background on the charges
Miroslav Kvocka is charged with four counts of Crimes against humanity, and four counts of Violations of the laws and customs of war (previously three).
Mladen Radic is charged with six counts of Crimes against humanity (previously nine) and six counts of Violations of the laws and customs of war (previously eight).
Milojica Kos is charged with four counts of Crimes against humanity and four counts of Violations of the laws and customs of war (previously three).
Zoran Zigic is charged with four counts of Crimes against humanity (previously 25) and four counts of Violations of the laws and customs of war (previously 22).
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The full text of the indictment is available upon request from the Public Information Unit
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