The Criminal Extra-Trial Chamber of the High Court in Belgrade has issued a decision confirming the indictment of the War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office, which was filed for war crimes against the civilian population during the Operation Storm.

The Department for War Crimes of the High Court confirmed the indictment at a council session which was held on June 3.

The indictment named Vladimir Mikac and others for perpetrating felony war crimes against the civilian population in complicity, announced the High Court.

“Examining the indictment of the War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office, the Criminal Extra-Trial Chamber took the position that the evidence and data gathered this far in the proceedings pose a sufficient basis for reaching the conclusion that there is reasonable doubt that the defendants had taken actions from the factual description of the felony that they are being charged with in the indictment, that is, the burden of necessary material evidence for indictment in a specific case has been met,” announced the High Court’s website.

The defendants and their legal counsel may appeal the decision in the Belgrade Court of Appeals, with a deadline of three days following the delivery of the decision.

The Serbian Prosecutor’s Office has proposed that the defendants be tried in absentia, seeing as the passage of time poses sufficient reason for doubt that Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina will start criminal proceedings against the defendants for the killing of civilians on August 7 and 8, 1995.

Thirteen Serb civilians, six of whom were children, were killed over two days in the refugee column that had already left the territory of Croatia and crossed over into the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.