Former Bosnian minister pleads not guilty to war crimes

Bosnia’s former Defence and Security Minister Selmo Cikotic firmly denies responsibility for war crimes committed during the 1993 Bugojno conflict

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s former Defence and Security Minister Selmo Cikotic pleaded not guilty to war crimes at the Bosnian state court in Sarajevo.

These charges relate to his alleged role in the torture and murder of Croat prisoners of war during the 1993 conflict in Bugojno.

The court heard that Cikotic, serving as a commander in the Bosnian Army, reportedly failed to prevent the inhumane treatment and execution of over 20 members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO).

According to the indictment, military police officers beat these prisoners at the BH Banka building in Bugojno, resulting in several deaths. They executed others labeled as extremists at a motel in Rostovo.

“I am not guilty,” Cikotic stated firmly in court, challenging the accusations against him. Dzevad Mlaco, the wartime head of the War Presidency of Bugojno municipality and co-defendant, also entered a not-guilty plea. The charges against Mlaco specifically include ordering the killings of the Croat prisoners.

Following the war, Cikotic held prominent roles in the government, serving as the country’s defense minister from 2007 to 2012 and later as the security minister from 2020 to 2023.

This trial follows Cikotic’s conviction in December 2023 for abusing his office in a corruption case related to military supplies, leading to a three-year prison sentence.

Source: Newsroom