CUSTODY ORDERED TO HVO MEMBER DEJAN TOŠIĆ FOR WAR CRIMES AGAINST SERB CIVILIANS

DOBOJ, APRIL 16 /SRNA/ - The District Court Doboj ordered the custody to former HVO member Dejan Tošić /53/ from Županja, who is charged with war crimes against Serb civilians in Derventa, whom he was beating until they lost consciousness in the prison camps located in the building of the former JNA House and in the Rabić military warehouse.

The Court issued a decision on custody on Monday, April 14, because the accused Tošić was not available to the court, i.e. he was on the run, but became available after his arrest based on a warrant. Custody can last for a maximum of two years, with the justification check being carried out after every two months, the District Court announced. Dejan Tošić, a former member of the 103rd Brigade of the HVO Derventa, pleaded guilty to inhumane treatment and intimidation of imprisoned Serb civilians from April to the end of June 1992. From April 26 to 28, Tošić either alone or together with other unknown, for now, HVO members kicked, beat, flogged damaged party identified as Ž. S. in the prison camp located in the building of the former JNA House with an improvised whip all over his body. He repeatedly kicked damaged party identified as G.T. in the chest numerous times, kicked and beat M.L. all over his body, and kicked, beat and flogged S.P. with a rifle butt. He hit O. Š. in the neck with the butt of the rifle, kicking and beating him, and with the neck of a broken bottle he hit D. K.'s in the nose, beating, kicking and batting. The accused punched N. B, in the face in the left temple, causing the damaged party to faint, was repeatedly flogging M. N. in the back with an improvised whip, hit M.D. in the back of the head with a glass bottle, kicking him in the back, stomach and other parts of the body. Tošić was repeatedly hitting the damaged party L.P. in the head and genitals, after which he put a knotted rope in his mouth, forcing him to bite the rope and walk around the room on all fours on his knees, while the accused walked in front of him, holding the rope. During that time, others, so far unknown members of the HVO, were riding the victim and kicking in the kidney area with boots, and hitting in the head with clubs and punching with the fists. While the victim was in such a position, Tošić kicked him in the face, as a result of which L.P. fell to the floor covered in blood, which was dripping from his mouth and nose. From April 26 to the end of May 1992, the accused, together with other members of the HVO, was violating the physical integrity of P.N. by repeatedly taking him on several occasions to a separate room in the prison camp located in the building of the former JNA House, and kicking and punching him all over his body also using police baton and an improvised whip with metal balls on it. In doing so, Tošić used intimidation measures in the way that he beat him and, with the threat of a weapon, forced him to put his hand in a machine with iron teeth, threatening him with the loss of fingers. The accused put a knife to the damaged party M.B.'s head and forced him to clean the toilet with his bare hands; on the night between May 5 and 6, together with another member of the HVO, he took him out into the corridor and was hitting him in the head, stomach, chest and back with a baton, as a result of which the damaged party lost consciousness. Between May and the end of June, he was beating on several occasions a person identified as D. T.