| Press Release |
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| (Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document) |
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The Hague, 10 June 1999
CC/P.I.S/ 407-e
"Keraterm Camp" case: Dragan Kolundzija will appear before a Trial Chamber on Monday 14 june 1999 in Courtroom III.
Following his detention on Monday 7 June 1999 by SFOR forces in north-western Bosnia, Dragan Kolundzija was transferred later the same day to the Detention Unit of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), in The Hague.
Dragan Kolundzija is one of the eight individuals named in the "Keraterm Camp" indictment initially issued on 21 July 1995 and revised on 21 July 1998 (see below). One of his co-accused, Zoran Zigic, surrendered himself to the Tribunal’s custody on 16 April 1998. The six others are still at large.
Dragan Kolundzija will appear on Monday 14 June at 2.00 p.m. before Trial Chamber III consisting of Judge May (Presiding), Judge Bennouna and Judge Robinson.
The purpose of this hearing, called an "initial appearance hearing", is for the accused to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty on each of the counts in the indictment. This hearing is public.
BACKGROUND ON THE INDICTMENT AND THE ACCUSED
The "Keraterm Camp" indictment charges that from approximately 24 May to 30 August 1992, Serb forces unlawfully detained more than 3,000 Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in a former ceramics factory and storage area complex ("Keraterm camp") in the municipality of Prijedor, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to the indictment, the detainees were, among other things, "subjected to physical violence, constant humiliation, degradation, inhumane conditions, and fear of death. Hundreds of detainees were killed…,severe beatings were commonplace. All manner of weapons were used during these beatings, including wooden batons, metal rods, baseball bats, lengths of thick industrial cable that had metal balls affixed to the end, rifle butts, and knives. The killings, beatings, sexual assaults, and other cruel and humiliating actions were committed on every shift…Many detainees, whose identities are known and unknown, did not survive…".
Dragan Kolundzija, (born on 28 March 1956, also known as "Kole") is alleged to have been one of the three shift commanders who each supervised a shift of guards that operated at the camp.
BACKGROUND ON THE CHARGES
The indictment charges Dragan Kolundzija on the basis of both his individual criminal responsibility (Article 7(1) of the Statute) for direct participation in the alleged crimes, and his superior criminal responsibility for (Article 7(3)) crimes allegedly committed by his subordinates.
The accused is charged with five counts of Crimes against humanity (murder; persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds, and other inhumane acts), four counts of Violations of the laws or customs of war (murder, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity) and four counts of
Grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions (wilful killing; wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body and health).
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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