Two War Crimes Suspects Arrested in Bosnia

Police in Bosnia and Herzegovina have arrested two individuals, including one police officer, on suspicion of war crimes.

Milan Peric (1961) and Slavko Lalovic (1959) are suspected of crimes committed in 1992 in the area of Kalinovik, in eastern Herzegovina.

They were arrested on a warant issued by the State Prosecution.

Milan Peric is a police officer in Republika Srpska.

Slavko Lalovic was mentioned by witnesses during the trial against Ratko Bundalo, Djordjislav Askraba and Nedjo Zeljala before the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Among others, protected witness W1 said that Lalovic was a shift commander at the detention center where civilans were kept.

“During the shifts of Slavko Lalovic, known as Ustasa, reserve forces members used to come to the school and take us women out to rape us. Members of reserve forces also took out some men and beat them up. Some of them never came back afterwards,” W1 said.

Last December, Bundalo was sentenced to 19 years and Zeljaja to 15 years, while Askraba was acquitted of all charges for crimes committed in Kalinovik.

According to the judgment, about 300 people were detained in Kalinovik. Detention centers were controlled by the army and police of Republika Srpska.

Lalovic and Peric were handed over to the state prosecutor, who will decide whether to issue a request to hold them in detention until the indictment is issued and confirmed by the court.

In 1991, Kalnovik had around 5,000 citizens, primarily Serbs and Muslims. During the war, almost all the Muslim citizens were expelled or killed.