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REGISTRY
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The Hague, 15 August 2001
JL/P.I.S./612-e
Surrender of Dragan Jokic to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
Today, Wednesday 15 August 2001, Dragan Jokic surrendered to representatives of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). He was formally arrested and was transferred to the Detention Unit of the ICTY in The Hague later the same day.
The Indictment ("Srebrenica-Zvornik Brigade")
Factual allegations
According to the indictment, confirmed on 30 May 2001, on or about 6 July 1995, units of the Drina Corps of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) shelled the Srebrenica "safe area" and attacked Dutch-manned United Nations observation posts located there. The Drina Corps attack on the "safe area" continued until 11 July 1995, when forces from the "Drina Wolves", the Bratunac Brigade and other units of the VRS entered Srebrenica.
Between 11 July 1995 and approximately 1 November 1995, over 5000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys who had been detained and captured were transported by the VRS from the Srebrenica enclave to the Zvornik Brigade zone of responsibility where they were summarily executed by firing squad and buried at locations in and around the zone of responsibility including: Orahovac; the Petkovci School and the "Dam" near Petkovci; Pilica School; Branjevo Military Farm; Pilica Cultural Centre; and Kozluk.
It is further alleged that this criminal plan and enterprise included the subsequent exhumation of the victim’s bodies from the mass graves and reburial in hidden locations. As a result of these actions, the VRS forces virtually eliminated the presence of any Bosnian Muslims in the Srebrenica enclave area thus continuing an ethnic cleansing campaign which had begun in the spring of 1992.
According to the indictment, in July 1995 Dragan Jokic was the Chief of Engineering of the 1st Zvornik Brigade holding the rank of Major. As such he was a member of the Brigade Staff and was advisor to the Brigade Commander and to the Chief of Staff/Deputy Commander for matters relating to Engineering services. He was also responsible for the activities of the Zvornik Brigade Engineering Company. Further, it is alleged that Dragan Jokic was the Duty Officer of the Zvornik Brigade for a 24 hour period from the morning of 14 July 1995 until the morning of 15 July 1995 and as such was the designated representative of the Brigade Commander or Chief of Staff/Deputy Commander.
Charges
The indictment charges the accused on the basis of individual criminal responsibility (Article 7(1) of the Statute of the Tribunal) with:
Crimes against humanity (Article 5 – extermination; murder; persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds), and
Violations of the laws or customs of war (Article 3 – murder).
The date and time of the initial appearance will be known in due course
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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