US Charges Bosnia Embassy Gunman With Attempted Murder

The indictment on ten counts against Jasarevic, 23, a native of Novi Pazar in Serbia, was issued on April 24.

“Mevlid Jasarevic... was indicted...on charges of attempted murder and other violations in connection with his alleged machine gun attack on the US embassy in Sarajevo... on October 28, 2011,” the US Department of Justice announced.

Among other matters, Jasarevic is charged with attempted murder of US officers or employees, assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm and destruction of property.

The attempted murder and assault with deadly weapon and destruction of property each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years, the Justice Department said, adding: “Each charge of using a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years for use of a machine-gun.”

The charge of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Bosnian Prosecutors indicted Jasarevic and two of his helpers on April 23. Emrah Fojnica, 20, and Munib Ahmetspahic, 22, were indicted for helping Jasarevic commit a terrorist act.

The Bosnian indictment charged the three men with being members of an organized terrorist group from the village of Gornja Maoca in northeast Bosnia, whose aim was to express dissatisfaction with the position of their Wahhabi community in Bosnia and in the world and avenge that by violence.

Their goal was to threaten the US and "destabilize the basic political and constitutional structures of government," the Bosnian Prosecutor announced on Monday.

The indictment said that Jasarevic opened fire from an automatic rifle, shooting for some 50 minutes with at least 105 bullets. During the shootings, he shouted threats at US embassy staff and at citizens who were near the building. He also wounded a police officer guarding the building.

Jasarevic, from Novi Pazar in Serbia, spent time with his family in Gornja Maoca before coming to Sarajevo on October 28, 2011, the day of the attack. After shooting at the embassy building for some time he was disabled by a sniper with a shot to his leg.

“The prosecution will include 39 witnesses proving their responsibility along with more than 100 material evidences,” the Bosnia's Prosecutor's Office said.

Jasarevic's attorney, Senad Dupovac, told Balkan Insight on Monday that he had learned that the Prosecutor will seek a 20-year jail term for his defendant, which he described as drastic.

Jasarevic's aim was not to kill anyone, as he wanted to be killed himself, Dupovac said. Jasarevic has been in custody for almost six months now.