Boris Grubesic

The Serbian authorities granted citizenship to former Bosnian Serb military policeman Mirko Vrucinic in June 2020 - two months before his defence was due to present its closing arguments in his war crimes trial, BIRN has learned.

The 27th anniversary of the killings of 26 Bosnian Croats in Buhine Kuce on January 9, 1994 will be marked on Saturday with a Catholic mass and the laying of flowers at the local cemetery.

The State Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is investigating a second allegation concerning the illegal issue of tourist visas, this time concerning Iraqi citizens, Boris Grubesic, a spokesman for the office confirmed to BIRN.

"We have visa-related cases in Iraq and Pakistan. Since both cases are pending, we cannot provide more information," Grubesic said.

Members of Bosnia's State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, arrested suspected former ISIS fighters in Syria after they landed at Sarajevo airport on Thursday night.

Boris Grubesic, from the State Prosecutor's Office, said the men are suspected of the crime of organising or joining terrorist groups,

The procedure to extradite former Croatian Defence Council fighter Robert Kovacic from the United States on suspicion that he committed war crimes has been suspended because the investigation has been discontinued due to a lack of evidence after the victim and witness to the crime died, BIRN has learned.

However, associations of families of missing persons argue that the Bosnian Missing Persons Institute, the International Commission on Missing Persons and the Bosnian state prosecution should have found more of the remaining missing persons by now.

Police and security services 'concealing information'

The prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina will open a case and check allegations concerning actions of Sakib Softic as an agent in the process of applying for revision of a judgement against Serbia, confirmed on Friday for Serbian daily "Vecernje Novosti" BiH prosecution spokesman Boris Grubesic.

Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska is pictured on an election poster calling for votes for a referendum on their Statehood Day in Prnjavor, Bosnia and Herzegovina, September 21, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Boris Grubesic, spokesperson of the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, told BIRN on Wednesday that the investigation against Elvir Muratovic, Kemal Muric, Semir Salkovic, Zulfo Alajbegovic, Edin Tabakovic, Darko Peco, Elvir Masic and Adis Kesan will end soon.

The eight men were arrested late last year on suspicion of planning terrorist acts.

Marina Zovic, the spokesperson of the Bosnian Federation police, which conducted the raid, said that the 11 men were arrested for connections to terrorism and terrorist groups.

"They are suspected of inciting and preparing a criminal act as well as enlisting people to go fight abroad," Zovic said.