|
Press Release . Communiqué de presse
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
CC/PIU/308-E
The Hague, 9 April 1998
INITIAL APPEARANCE
OF MIROSLAV KVOCKA AND MLADEN RADIC
ON TUESDAY 14 APRIL
The Registry of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) confirms that Miroslav KVOCKA and Mladen RADIC, the two indicted persons who were detained on Wednesday 8 April 1998 by members of the S-For forces, were transferred to the ICTY in the early hours of Thursday 9 April and have been taken into custody at the ICTY’s Detention Unit.
The next legal step is the appearance of both accused before a Trial Chamber in order to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty on each of the counts they are charged with in the indictment issued against them.
This initial appearance hearing will be held on Tuesday 14 April at 2 PM before Judge Rodrigues of Trial Chamber I.
This hearing is open to both the public and the media.
Background on the indictment
Miroslav KVOCKA and Mladen RADIC are two of the 19 accused named in the indictment issued by the ICTY on 13 February 1995 with regard to atrocities allegedly committed between May and August 1992 against Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat civilians from the Prijedor district (northwestern Bosnia) held at the Omarska camp, a makeshift detention facility where "the Serb forces
killed, raped, assaulted, beat and otherwise mistreated the prisoners".
Background on the accused
According to the indictment, Miroslav KVOCKA was for a short-time the commander of the camp before becoming one of the two deputies to Zeljko MEAKIC, the camp commander. Mladen RADIC was one of the three shift commanders.
Background on the charges
Miroslav KVOCKA and Mladen RADIC are indicted in their alleged capacity as superiors to others in the camp. They knew or had reasons to know that persons in positions of subordinate authority to them "regularly and openly killed, raped, tortured, beat and otherwise subjected prisoners to conditions of constant humiliation, degradation, and fear of death".
Miroslav KVOCKA and Mladen RADIC are individually charged with 3 counts of Crimes against humanity, 4 Counts of Violations of the Laws or Customs of War, and 4 counts of Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
Mladen RADIC is also indicted for crimes he allegedly personally committed against a female detainee:
"22.1 During June and July, 1992, Mladen RADIC repeatedly subjected "A" to forcible sexual intercourse. The first occasion was on or about the night of 25 June 1992. Mladen RADIC took "A" to a room downstairs in the administration building, forced her on a table and subjected her to forcible sexual intercourse. Two or three nights later, RADIC again called "A" out of the room
where she slept and again subjected her to forcible sexual intercourse. On at least three more occasions during June and July 1992, Mladen RADIC called "A" out of the room in the administration building where she slept and subjected her to forcible sexual intercourse."
For these alleged acts, Mladen RADIC is charged with 5 counts of Crimes against humanity, 5 Counts of Violations of the Laws or Customs of War and 5 counts of Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
*****
|
