Momcilo Krajisnik was born on 20 January 1945 in Zabrdje, municipality of Novi Grad, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was a leading member of the Serbian Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SDS) and he served on a number of SDS bodies and committees. On 12 July 1991, Momcilo Krajisnik was elected to the Main Board of the SDS. He was President of the Assembly of Serbian People in Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Bosnian Serb Assembly") from 24 October 1991 until at least November 1995. He was a member of the National Security Council of the Bosnian Serb Republic and from the beginning of June 1992 until 17 December 1992, he was a member of the expanded Presidency of the Bosnian Serb Republic.
The indictment generally alleges that, between 1 July 1991 and 30 December 1992, Momcilo Krajisnik, Biljana Plavsic and others, including Slobodan Milosevic, Zeljko Raznatovic, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic (see “related cases”), participated in a joint criminal enterprise (JCE), in which they planned, instigated, ordered, committed or otherwise aided and abetted the planning, preparation or execution of persecutions of the Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat or other non-Serb populations of numbers of municipalities(Banja Luka, Novi Grad, Novo Sarajevo, Pale, Prijedor, Prnjavor…). The objective of the JCE was primarily achieved through a manifest pattern of persecutions as alleged in the indictment.
According to the indictment the destruction of these groups was effected by:
- the widespread killing of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, including leading members of their communities, which took place during and after the attack on towns and villages in the Municipalities and the killing of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats related to detention facilities;
- the causing of serious bodily or mental harm to Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, including leading members of their communities, during their confinement in detention facilities;
- the detention of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, including leading members of their communities, in detention facilities under conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction, namely through cruel and inhuman treatment, including torture, physical and psychological abuse and sexual violence, inhumane living conditions, forced labour and the failure to provide adequate accommodation, shelter, food, water, medical care or hygienic sanitation facilities.
By virtue of his associations, positions and memberships, Momcilo Krajisnik had de facto control and authority over the Bosnian Serb forces and Bosnian Serb political and governmental organs and their agents, who participated in the crimes alleged in the indictment.
It is alleged that Momcilo Krajisnik knew or had reason to know that all the crimes alleged in this indictment were about to be committed or had been committed by his subordinates and he failed to take necessary and reasonable measures to prevent such acts or punish the perpetrators thereof.
He was apprehended by SFOR on April the 3rd, 2000 and transferred to the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) the same day. |
