Officials and military officers against whom Kerim Mesanovich testified face a multitude of charges relating to violations of various articles of the Geneva Conventions. The crimes with which they are charged, and the status of their cases, are:
RADISLAV BRDJANIN
Bosnian Serb former deputy prime minister. Appointed President of the Autonomous Region of Krajina (ARK) Crisis Staff in 1992.
Detained by Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR): July 6, 1999
Trial: Jan. 23, 2002 through April 22, 2004
Status: Awaiting Judgment
MOMIR TALIC
Commander of the Fifth Corps of the Yugoslav Peoples Army based in Banja Luka; member of the ARK Crisis Staff
Arrested: Aug. 25, 1999 in Austria by Austrian authorities
Provisional Release (for health reasons): Sept. 20, 2002
Status: Died May 28, 2003, in Belgrade
Charges: Indicted jointly, Brdjanin and Talic were charged with 12 counts of crimes against humanity, including genocide and torture. The Crisis Staff, according to their ICTY indictment, "worked as a collective body to coordinate and implement the overall plan to seize control of and 'ethnically cleanse' the area of the ARK."
SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC
President of Serbia
Arrested: April 1, 2001, in Belgrade by local authorities.
Trial: Began Feb. 12, 2002. Proceedings have been limited to three days a week because of Milosevic's health, by his decision to represent himself, and the death of a judge. The prosecution rested its case Feb. 25, 2004. The defense case was scheduled to commence on July 19, but adjourned until Aug. 31 because of Milosevic's high blood pressure.
Charges: 66 counts, including charges of genocide, murder, torture, violations of the laws or customs of war, and crimes against humanity
ZELJKO MEJAKIC
Commander of Omarska detention camp.
Transferred to ICTY: July 4, 2003
At pre-trial stage
Charges:Three counts of crimes against humanity; two counts of violations of the laws or customs of war.
Information compiled from ICTY website.
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2004.