Following the discovery of a mass grave at Koricanske stjene, the exhumation of the remains of killed civilians has begun, following a warrant issued by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The State Court has issued an order for exhumation of the remains of civilians who were killed at Koricanske stijene on Mount Vlasic on August 21, 1992.
Nine former members of the Emergency Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor are charged with the crime committed at Koricanske stijene. The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges them with participation in the shooting of more than 200 civilians who were separated from a convoy moving from Prijedor to Travnik.
Damir Ivankovic was originally among the indictees charged with this crime. He admitted guilt and concluded an agreement with the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After accepting the agreement, the Trial Chamber sentenced him to 14 years in prison.
Ivankovic testified against the seven indictees charged under the same indictment. After this, a new indictment against two former members of the Emergency Squad was filed.
The locations of mass graves were identified on the basis of Ivankovic’s statement.
The indictment alleges that after the shooting on Mount Vlasic, members of the Emergency Interventions Squad threw bombs, killing the civilians who had survived the shooting. The State Prosecution says that four complete bodies and some body parts have been found so far.
The exhumation of the remains, which was initiated at the request of the State Prosecution, was attended by a Prosecutor of the Special War Crimes Section of the State Prosecution, a Prosecutor of the Cantonal Prosecution from Travnik, police officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Central Bosnia Canton and members of the Police Station from Knezevo, as well as representatives of the Institute of Missing Persons.
The search for the remains of civilians killed at Koricanske stijene will last for several days.
“It is very difficult to make any estimates now. We may find victims from one of the buses, but it is impossible to say whether there will be 50 or 100 victims,” said Amor Masovic, who is involved in exploration of this mass grave.