The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed on Wednesday the indictment against Atif Dudakovic, the former general in the Army of Republic Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH), and 16 other members of the 5th Corps of the RBiH Army.

Bosnia's Prosecutor's Office filed the indictment on October 11, charging Dudakovic and others with the crimes against humanity that were committed in the municipalities of Bosanski Petrovac, Kljuc, Bosanska Krupa, Sanski Most and the war crimes against civilians in the municipalities of Bihac and Cazin, the northwest of Bosnia.

They are also charged with persecution and torturing of the Serb civilians and prisoners of war as well as the destruction of 38 Orthodox shrines, churches and other religious facilities.

Atif Dudakovic is a former RBiH Army general. During the Bosnian War (1992-1995), Dudakovic was in command of the Bihac enclave in the north-west of the country, which was surrounded and besieged from 1992 to 1995 by the Army of the Republika Srpska, the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina and Bosniak dissenters led by the Bosniak politician Fikret Abdic. During that time, Dudakovic commanded the 5th Corps.

After the war, he became the general commander of the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entity, one of two semi-autonomous entities in Bosnia. The other entity is the Republika Srpska (RS).

Part of the indictment against Atif Dudakovic refers to war crimes committed against Bosniak victims, members and supporters of the ‘People’s Defence of the Autonomous Region Western Bosnia,’ during clashes in the areas of Bihac and Cazin municipalities.

The Prosecution said they plan to prove the charges with testimonies of 447 witnesses and six experts as well as by exhibiting more than 1,100 pieces of evidence.

Dudakovic was apprehended in Bihac in April this year in a police operation carried out the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) of Bosnia and Herzegovina.