Authorities have launched an inspection at the Tuzla Correctional Facility (KPZ Tuzla) following reports that Elfeta Veseli, who was convicted of the wartime murder of 12-year-old Slobodan Stojanović, has been granted prison privileges allowing her to spend time outside the institution.
Republika Srpska Justice Minister Goran Selak said he had spoken with Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Justice Minister Vedran Škobić, who informed him that an inspection had been ordered to establish all the relevant facts surrounding the allegations.
“I spoke with Minister Škobić, who told me that he had sent an inspection to determine the circumstances of this case,” Selak said.
Selak strongly criticised the possibility that a person convicted of one of the gravest wartime crimes could receive benefits involving temporary leave from prison.
“As Minister of Justice, but above all as a parent and a human being, I believe it is absolutely unacceptable and deeply disturbing that a person convicted of one of the most serious war crimes against civilians, involving the murder of a child, could be granted privileges that effectively undermine the court’s judgment,” Selak said.
He called for full transparency regarding the legal basis for any privileges that may have been granted, stressing that justice for victims must not be compromised by administrative decisions.
Acting Director of the Republika Srpska Centre for Research of War, War Crimes and the Search for Missing Persons, Viktor Nuždić, also called for a thorough investigation, saying the public has the right to know whether Veseli has in fact spent significant periods outside prison.
“If these allegations prove to be true, it would represent an unprecedented disgrace. It would be a blow not only to the family of Slobodan Stojanović but to everyone who still believes in justice,” Nuždić said.
Slobodan Župljanin, president of the Association of Patriots of Republika Srpska, said his organisation had received information from prison sources alleging that Veseli had benefited from extensive prison privileges. He called for an investigation into who authorised any such measures and under what legal criteria.
The issue was first raised publicly by Nenad Nešić, president of the Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS), who urged the justice ministries of both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosnia and Herzegovina to examine claims that Veseli had been allowed to spend several days each month outside prison in the Ilidža area.
Veseli is serving a 13-year prison sentence at KPZ Tuzla after being convicted of the wartime murder of Slobodan Stojanović from Donja Kamenica near Zvornik.
The inspection at the Tuzla prison is ongoing, and authorities are expected to announce whether the allegations regarding prison privileges are substantiated.
Source: Glas Srpske
