5 indicted for war crimes in train abductions case

5 indicted for war crimes in train abductions case

BELGRADE -- The Serbian War Crimes Prosecution on Tuesday announced that it had indicted five former members of the Bosnian Serb army (VRS) for war crimes.

The indictment concerns the Strpci case, when 20 passengers, mostly Bosniaks (Muslims) were taken from a Belgrade-Bar train 22 years ago, and later killed.

The prosecution said there was "reasonable suspicion that they co-perpetrated a war crime against civilians in the Bosnian villages of Strpci, Prelovo and Musici, on Feb. 27, 1993," the Beta news agency reported.

"Pressing charges 22 years after the abduction of 20 non-Serb passengers from the train at the Strpci rail station is the first step toward the truth and justice for the victims and their families," the prosecution said.

Another ten persons are under investigation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The 15 suspects were arrested on Dec. 5, 2014 in a joint operation by the police and war crimes prosecutors of Serbia and Bosnia, Beta quoted a press release.