Bosnia acquits ex-policemen over POWs killing

On Thursday, a Bosnian court acquitted a former police commander of killing eight ethnic Serb prisoners of war during the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s.

Dragan Vikic and three other former policemen were acquitted “since it was not proven that they had committed the criminal acts that they were accused of”, the court said in a statement.

The eight victims, all Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) soldiers, were detained in a Sarajevo suburb in April 1992 after their vehicle broke down.

They were taken to a downtown park where they were shot dead and their bodies were removed from the execution site to cover up the crime, according to the prosecution.

So far only partial remains of two of the victims have been found.

Two of the policemen who went on trial with Vikic were accused of having participated in the shooting.

Vikic, who commanded a special Bosnian interior ministry unit, and another suspect were charged with being informed about the crime and failing to both prevent it and to sanction the perpetrators.

Dozens of people, including many Vikic’s wartime comrades, welcomed him with applause and cheers when he stepped out from the courthouse after the acquittal, local media reported.

“Dragan Vikic is the hero of the city!” read the banners carried by some in the crowd while some were taking photos with him.

Over 11,500 people were killed during Sarajevo’s 44-month siege by Serb forces.

Bosnia’s war between Croats, Muslims, and Serbs, which lasted from 1992 to 1995, took 100,000 lives.