The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered that Milan Peric and Slavko Lalovic be held in custody for a further two months.
They were arrested in May and can now be detained until October 18.
The duo are suspected of participating in the capture and abuse of Bosniaks from the Kalinovik area during 1992. Prosecutors allege that Peric was an active policeman with the Public Safety Station, SJB, in Kalinovik and Lalovic was a guard at the Miladin Radojevic school building where civilians were held.
Prosecutors asked for the extension, saying they expected to complete their investigation and file an indictment within the next two months. Defence lawyers say the evidence collected until now doesn’t prove the case against Peric and Lalovic.
“We have already obtained firm evidence pertaining to some counts contained in the indictment… Up to the present date we have examined about 15 witnesses. Their statements indicate that none of the male detainees came back alive, and women were raped. They put the biggest blame on Peric and Lalovic. We are talking about 300 women and children who were held in detention. Most witnesses asked for protection measures, as they are afraid for their own safety,†said prosecutor Munib Halilovic, asking for the extension.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina previously sentenced Ratko Bundalo, the former commander of the Tactical Group in Kalinovik, to 19 years in prison and Nedjo Zeljaja, former commander of the Police Station with the Public Safety Station in Kalinovik, to 15 years for crimes committed in the Kalinovik area.