In Norway’s first war crimes indictment since the Second World War, an unnamed 41-year-old Norwegian citizen stands charged with torture, rape, illegal internment of civilians and crimes against humanity.
The accused is an asylum seeker who fled from Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1993 and was granted Norwegian citizenship in 2001. The Muslim military man served in the Croat HOS organisation, fighting against Serb forces. The charges against him stem from his treatment of 18 civilian Bosnian Serbs in 1992.
Witnesses will travel from Bosnia and other countries to testify in the trial, which is slated to begin in Oslo at the end of August. The accusations against the accused are serious. The victims were allegedly shown mock executions to induce fear and forced to drink urine. Kickings, beatings, and psychological abuse are all documented in the indictment. Two of the women allege to have been raped repeatedly by soldiers under the command of the accused.
One of the case prosecutors, Pal K. Lonseth, says that “Norway has been considered by some to be a safe haven for war criminals. This indictment should indicate that this is not the case.”