Post by vinjak on Jul 10, 2008 19:24:30 GMT -5
Bosnian Croat Jailed for 1992 War Crimes
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Ivica Vrdoljak10 July 2008 Sarajevo _ The first instance Trial Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina considers Ivica Vrdoljak guilty of war crimes against civilians in the summer of 1992.
Ivica Vrdoljak, also known as Geza, was announced guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment. The time he has spent under custody - from November 2007 to present, will be calculated towards the five-year sentence.
On the basis of the presented pieces of evidence and statements given by witnesses, the first instance Trial Chamber determined that Vrdoljak was a member of the 103rd Derventa Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, which participated in the mistreatment of Serbian prisoners in the prisons in Derventa and Bosanski Brod.
Announcing the verdict, Trial Chamber Chairwoman Minka Kreho said that the Chamber took into consideration the fact that the indictee was a rather young man when the crime was committed and that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder in the period after the war had ended. It was also determined that he did not appear to be particularly inconsiderate or persistent, when he committed the crime.
"The Chamber considers that the five-year imprisonment sentence will serve the purpose of punishing the indictee," Chairwoman Kreho concluded.
The Chamber announced Vrdoljak guilty of having "ordered the detainees to stand up and hold their hands on their napes", while he and other guards took out those who did not do that and beat them up.
This happened in the "Silos" building in Polje cillage, Derventa municipality, in late June 1992.
He is also found guilty of having participated in the beating of a group of detainees, who were held in "Beograd" store warehouse in Tules settlement, Bosanski Brod, in July 1992.
The Chamber were not convinced by the Defence's allegations that there were four different persons in the region in which the crime happened, who had the same first and last name. The Chamber chose to believe the witnesses, whose description of the person who participated in this crime matched the indictee.
The fact that most witnesses, including former victims, described Vrdoljak as a person, whose right arm was injured, was taken into consideration as one of the key pieces of evidence. This was also proved by medical reports.
The Trial Chamber exempted Vrdoljak from paying the Defence costs due to his "poor financial situation."
www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/11726/
Email a friend
Save article
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Ivica Vrdoljak10 July 2008 Sarajevo _ The first instance Trial Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina considers Ivica Vrdoljak guilty of war crimes against civilians in the summer of 1992.
Ivica Vrdoljak, also known as Geza, was announced guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment. The time he has spent under custody - from November 2007 to present, will be calculated towards the five-year sentence.
On the basis of the presented pieces of evidence and statements given by witnesses, the first instance Trial Chamber determined that Vrdoljak was a member of the 103rd Derventa Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, which participated in the mistreatment of Serbian prisoners in the prisons in Derventa and Bosanski Brod.
Announcing the verdict, Trial Chamber Chairwoman Minka Kreho said that the Chamber took into consideration the fact that the indictee was a rather young man when the crime was committed and that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder in the period after the war had ended. It was also determined that he did not appear to be particularly inconsiderate or persistent, when he committed the crime.
"The Chamber considers that the five-year imprisonment sentence will serve the purpose of punishing the indictee," Chairwoman Kreho concluded.
The Chamber announced Vrdoljak guilty of having "ordered the detainees to stand up and hold their hands on their napes", while he and other guards took out those who did not do that and beat them up.
This happened in the "Silos" building in Polje cillage, Derventa municipality, in late June 1992.
He is also found guilty of having participated in the beating of a group of detainees, who were held in "Beograd" store warehouse in Tules settlement, Bosanski Brod, in July 1992.
The Chamber were not convinced by the Defence's allegations that there were four different persons in the region in which the crime happened, who had the same first and last name. The Chamber chose to believe the witnesses, whose description of the person who participated in this crime matched the indictee.
The fact that most witnesses, including former victims, described Vrdoljak as a person, whose right arm was injured, was taken into consideration as one of the key pieces of evidence. This was also proved by medical reports.
The Trial Chamber exempted Vrdoljak from paying the Defence costs due to his "poor financial situation."
www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/11726/