The Accused Zdravko Božić, Mladen Blagojević, Željko Zarić and Zoran Živanović did not appear at the plea hearing held today before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These Accused had earlier informed the Court that they are taking part in a hunger strike. The Court found that expert witnesses (psychiatrist and a specialist of internal medicine) agreed in their opinion that the Accused were able to appear before the Court and plead as to guilt. The Court concluded that the Accused chose not to appear at today’s hearing of their own will, and therefore recorded a plea of not guilty in accordance with the law.

The Accused are charged with Crimes against humanity.  The indictment alleges that, as members of the Military Police of the Bratunac Light Infantry Brigade of the Army of Republika Srpska, they, inter alia, participated in a widespread and systematic attack in July 1995 against the Bosniak civilian population of the Srebrenica enclave, a safe area established by the United Nations.