They are not allowed to leave their place of residence and they have to hand over all travel documents.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a decision on Wednesday to release from custody a group of former members of the HVO (Croatian forces during the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina), who were arrested in late October on suspicion of being responsible for war crimes committed in the Bosanska Posavina region, reports Jutarnji List on November 30, 2016.
The statement of the Court, announced in Sarajevo, says that the Court had decided to reject the demand made by the Prosecutor’s Office for an extension of custody, and that after one month in prison the suspects have been released. The suspects in question are: Đuro Matuzović, Ivo Oršolić, Tado Oršolić, Marko Dominiković, Joso Nedic, Marko Blažanović, Mate Živković, Anti Živković and Stjepo Đurić.
At the same time, the Court ordered additional measures with regards to the suspects, such as a ban on leaving the place of residence, which the police will check at least twice a day, as well as a ban on travelling, which includes temporary seizure of all travel documents, a ban on issuance of new travel documents, and a ban on use of ID cards for crossing the state border.
The suspects are also banned from meeting with certain persons, as well as having mutual contacts in any way, contacts with other alleged co-perpetrators or witnesses of the Prosecutor’s Office, as well as approaching the witnesses to a distance closer than 100 metres. The suspects are also prohibited from having contact with the media about the circumstances related to the criminal proceedings.
Ten HVO members, including the wartime commander of the Orašje Military District Matuzović, were arrested in late October on suspicion of being responsible for war crimes against prisoners of Serbian nationality. Nine of those arrested had spent a month in custody, while the tenth suspect Marko Baotić was released on 9 November to defend himself from freedom.
The measures which were introduced by the Court may last as long as there is a need, or until the Court makes a different decision. Necessity for the restrictive measures will be checked every two months.
