The plea hearing for Vinko Papak, charged with crimes committed in the territory of Prozor, was postponed because he failed to appear at the court.
Stanisa Gluhajic, the pre-trial judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that since Papak did not appear in the court, the plea hearing could not take place.
“This court has received a memo from the Ministry of Security which states that Papak was informed on February 13 about this hearing through Interpol in Zagreb,” said Gluhajic, explaining that the defendant has residence in Croatia.
Judge Gluhajic added that the wife of Vinko Papak confirmed to the court that the defendant had received the indictment and summons for his plea hearing.
The prosecution charges Vinko Papak with crimes against Bosniaks in Prozor in 1993.
The indictment specifies that, between June and August 1993, as a member of the Bosnian Croat army, Papak took part in the illegal detention of civilians, their physical and emotional abuse, as well as the looting and burning of their property.
The prosecutor, Sanja Jukic, requested the court to issue an arrest warrant for him.
Judge Gluhajic said that the court would make a decision on these proposals at a later date.
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Timeline of events in the case against 13 former Serb fighters charged with committing war crimes in the villages of Cuska, Zahac, Ljubenic and Pavlac in Kosovo in 1999.