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Press Release . Communiqué de presse
(Exclusivement à l’attention des media . Document non officiel)
The Hague, 4 July 2003
JL/ P.I.S/ 767e
ZELJKO MEAKIC TRANSFERRED TO THE ICTY DETENTION UNIT
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) confirms that Zeljko Meakic was transferred to the Detention Unit on 4 July 2003.
The initial Indictment against Zeljko Meakic was confirmed on 13 February 1995. Zeljko Meakic also known by the last name of "Mejakic" and "Meagic", was born on 2 August 1964 in Petrov Gaj, Prijedor Municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the Indictment, he was a police officer and the Commander of the Omarska Police Station prior to the conflict. The Indictment states
that he was the Commander of the Omarska camp.
On 17 September 2002, the Trial Chamber granted a Prosecution Motion and ordered that the Indictments against Zeljko Meakic, Momcilo Gruban and Dusko Knezevic (IT-95-4) and against Dusan Fustar, Predrag Banovic and Dusko Knezevic (IT-95-8/1) be joined and given a common case number.
Factual allegations
The consolidated Indictment dated 5 July 2002, alleges that, during the early morning hours of 30 April 1992, Bosnian Serb police and army forces seized physical control of the town of Prijedor. Following the forcible take-over of Prijedor, the Crisis Staff imposed severe restrictions on all aspects of life for non-Serbs, principally Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, including
movement and employment. According to the Indictment, Bosnian Serb authorities in the Prijedor municipality unlawfully segregated, detained and confined more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslims, Bosnian Croats and other non-Serbs from the Prijedor area in the Omarska, Trnopolje and Keraterm camps between May and August 1992.
It is alleged that interrogations were conducted on a daily basis at the Omarska and Keraterm camps. Severe beatings, killings as well as other forms of physical and psychological abuse, including sexual assault, are alleged to have been commonplace at the Omarska and Keraterm camps. In addition, the Omarska and Keraterm camps also operated in a manner designed to discriminate and
subjugate the non-Serbs by inhumane acts and cruel treatment. These acts included the brutal living conditions imposed on the prisoners.
The crimes enumerated in the Indictment were within the object a of the joint criminal enterprise, which operated within the Keraterm and Omarska camps. Zeljko Meakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar, Predrag Banovic and Dusko Knezevic each, allegedly, had the state of mind necessary for the commission of each of the crimes.
Charges
The Indictment charges Zeljko Meakic on the basis of individual criminal responsibility (Article 7(1) of the Statute of the Tribunal) and on the basis of superior criminal responsibility (Article 7(3) of the Statute) with:
Three counts of crimes against humanity (Article 5 of the Statute – persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds; murder; inhumane acts).
Two counts of violations of the laws or customs of war (Article 3 of the Statute – murder and cruel treatment).
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