Strpci crime suspects remanded in 30-day custody

BELGRADE - The Belgrade High Court has imposed a custodial sentence of 30 days at the proposal of the War Crime Prosecutor's Office for persons suspected of partaking in the kidnap and murder of 20 train passengers near the village Strpci, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in 1993.

The preliminary proceedings judge at the War Crime Department of the Belgrade High Court remanded in custody Gojko Lukic, Ljubisa Vasiljevic, Dusko Vasiljevic, Jovan Lipovac and Dragana Djekic on suspicion of committing a war crime against civilians, Court's spokesman Branislava Puzic told Tanjug.

The suspects were placed in custody out of fear they would flee, and also because they are believed they would interfere in the proceedings by witnesses tempering, Puzic said.

Earlier on Friday, War Crime Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic ordered an investigation against five suspects.

A total of 10 people were arrested in BiH on Friday on suspicion of participating in this crime.

They are alleged to have taken off the train on the Belgrade-Bar rail line 20 passengers, the citizens of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including 18 Bosniaks, one Croat, and one more person, a foreign citizen of probably African or Arab origin, whose identity was never determined.

On the occasion, Esad Kapetanovic, Ilijaz Licina, Fehim Bakiju, Seca Softic, Rafet Husovic, Halil Zupcevic, Senad Djecevic, Jusuf Rastoder, Ismet Babacic, Toma Buzov, Adem Alomerovic, Muhedin Hanic, Safet Preljevic, Dzafer Topuzovic, Rasim Coric, Fikret Memovic, Fevzi Zekovic, Nijazim Kajevic and Zvezdana Zulicic were shot to death.

AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic