TI BiH has filed criminal charges against several police officers for excessive use of force

TI BiH has filed today to the District Public Prosecutor’s Office Banja Luka a criminal complaint against several police officers for excessive use of force and reasonable grounds to suspect that they committed several criminal offenses on that occasion.

Banjaluka, 28^thDecember 2018 – Transparency International in BiH (TI BiH) has filed today to the District Public Prosecutor’s Office Banja Luka a criminal complaint against several police officers for excessive use of force and reasonable grounds to suspect that they committed several criminal offenses on that occasion.

Along with the complaint TI BiH also submitted a video which shows that on 25^thDecember 2018, police officers used a physical force against, among others, a citizen who had been knocked down on a concrete, and other police officer in regular uniform approaching him at that moment and continuing to hit him. In addition to the criminal complaint, TI BiH submitted other disturbing videos of police brutality towards the citizens who gathered at the square to support the Dragicevic family. Also, the detained activists, journalists and opposition politicians publicly announced they had been mistreated and humiliated in the premises of RS police, which was highlighted in the complaint.

TI BiH proposed to use videos from surveillance cameras on the Krajina Square during the investigation and to examine the activists and journalists who publicly testified about police brutality. The complaint contains the description of the ways in which members of the RS police violated legal regulations while applying force against the gathered citizens, particularly referring to the Rulebook on the use of force of RS police by which it is forbidden to use physical force and sticks against children and elderly persons, including the citizens who provide passive resistance.

TI BiH reminds that, at the press conference held on 26^thDecember, the Minister of the Internal Affairs of RS, Dragan Lukac, stated, without determining the facts, that there was no excessive use of force and asked the journalists the following question:“Has any of the citizens complained and brought a medical proof he/she was hurt?”. We note that in case of criminal offenses mentioned here it is not required that the injured persons have suffered physical injuries. Regardless of whether the injured citizens filed official complaint and documentation, the responsibility of police officers must be established ex officio, especially in situations when citizens fear of further repression and consequences.

Press rls 28.12.2018.e