Six Bosnian Croats on trial at UN war crimes tribunal

Six senior ethnic Croatian politicians and military officers go on trial at the UN Yugoslav tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, today on charges of torturing, killing and expelling Muslims in south-eastern Bosnia to create an ethnically pure Croatian republic.

Former Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, who died in 1999, was named in the indictment as the driving force behind the plan for a Greater Croatia that would embrace a self-proclaimed Croatian republic in Bosnia led by the six men.

The chief defendant, Jadranko Prlic, 46, was the political leader of the Bosnian Croats and served as president of the self-styled government of what was called Herzeg-Bosna. After the war, he served as Bosnia’s foreign minister.

Bruno Stjoic, 51, was the wartime defence minister of the territory, while Valentin Coric, 49, was head of the military police.

Also on trial are retired Col. Gen. Milivoj Petkovic, 56, who was dispatched from Croatia to head the military wing of the government, retired Gen. Slobodan Praljak, 61, Petkovic’s deputy and successor, and Bersilav Pusic, 53, who was in charge of exchanging prisoners of war.

All have pleaded not guilty to the 26 counts.