Selmo Cikotić is our friend, a valuable ally, and a crucial factor in bringing Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to NATO and defense reforms. It would be a shame to lose him in legal disputes, said today’s ambassador Murphy to the Prosecutors of the BH War Crimes Court in Sarajevo back in 2007 when he “friendly inquired” about the fate of the Bugojno indictment.
The prosecutor replied that, for now, Cikotić is not on the list of the accused, but Croatian detainees, more precisely their families, are persistent, and it is not excluded that Cikotić will be accused.
Five years have passed since Murphy’s pressure on the court, specifically in 2012, the media once again rang that the Bugojno indictment is ready and that Cikotić is on it.
And suddenly, silence again. Did the USA and its Murphy go back to the Prosecutor to convince him that he was wrong and to remove Cikotić from the indictment?
How severe is the penalty for this criminal act of pressuring the work of the Prosecutor’s Office?
We don’t know.
But we know this:
Letter from Ambassador Murphy published on WikiLeaks:
On September 19, the State Prosecutor’s Office confirmed indictments against two individuals as part of its ongoing investigation of war crimes committed by the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH) in and around Bugojno during the 1992-1995 war. Bugojno was the scene of heavy fighting between ABiH and the Croatian Defense Forces (HVO) in 1993-1994, and the then Defense Minister Cikotić was the commander of ABiH units stationed in that area. Cikotić is not mentioned in the indictment, but Croatian war veteran groups have repeatedly accused him of war crimes. A contact in the State Prosecutor’s office told us that an indictment against Cikotić for “command responsibility” is possible but emphasized that it is still too early to make that decision. Regardless, media coverage of the Bugojno trial is likely to strengthen the campaign of Croatian war veterans against Cikotić. Cikotić is a valuable ally of the United States and a strong advocate for defense reform. Although he has been declared innocent in the past, if Cikotić were indicted or forced to resign, it would be a significant setback. Ambassador Murphy’s summary, September 25, 2007.
Some will say, so what, but those who follow the work of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its subordination to the US Embassy, clearly know that this is an act of pressure on the Court and that by this act, Murphy committed a criminal offense not only against the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its sovereignty but also against the state of USA and Dayton agreement because the commitment of the State Department in prosecuting war criminals is allegedly unquestionable. Since Murphy was then a lower diplomat in the US Embassy and is now the ambassador of the USA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we invite him publicly, since his corrupt mouth is full of stories about the fight against corruption, and since his censorial mouth is full of stories about freedom of the media:
Let him publicly commend the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina for finally bringing charges against the Bugojno group and distance himself from this document as a fake document.
Let him publicly call on all media in Bosnia and Herzegovina to question the truth of this document if he cares about media freedom. If he is not aware of it, we emphasize to him: Mr. Murphy, the editors of all media in Bosnia and Herzegovina are afraid to publish this document. Why, explain to us if you are the protector of free journalism?
And finally, tell us mr. Murphey- is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s NATO path jeopardized now that Cikotić has been accused, and can we get your honorable word that neither you nor anyone from the US Embassy will go to the BIH Court for War Crimes for the third time, stopping this process?
Otherwise, as much as Murphy was worth to the Bugojno terrorists, the following fact speaks best: He secured them 20 years of freedom and Cikotić two ministerial mandates and a criminal affair with the Scout company.
We openly ask the corrupt diplomat: When will you admit to the Bosnian public how much money you received for that? And are you afraid of the justice of your own country? We know that you are not afraid of the justice of our miserable country, which you have butchered. Its justice is your weapon.
Note: While this text is being created, the United States has not yet withdrawn their corrupt diplomat from Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though it is now public knowledge that he is a protector of potential war criminals. Does this mean that they will leave him to the Bosnian prosecuting authorities?