SEVEN ACCUSED FOUND GUILTY IN A LANDMARK SREBRENICA GENOCIDE RULING
Verdicts Announced in the cases against Miloš Stupar et al., Petar Mitrović and Miladin Stevanović (Kravica Cases)
The Court of BiH today announced the first instance verdicts in the cases, Stupar Miloš and others, Mitrović Petar and Stevanović Miladin. These are the first verdicts from the Court of BiH involving Genocide charges in connection with events in Srebrenica during July 1995.Seven (7) of the Accused were convicted for the criminal offense of Genocide pursuant to Article 171 of the CC of BiH. The Court sentenced the Accused Milenko Trifunović, Brano Džinić, and Aleksandar Radovanović to forty-two (42) years long-term imprisonment, the Accused Miloš Stupar, Slobodan Jakovljević, and Branislav Medan to forty (40) years long-term imprisonment, and the Accused Petar Mitrović to thirty-eight (38) years long-term imprisonment. All 7 Accused were convicted for their participation in the killing of more than 1000 Bosniak men in the warehouse of the Farming Cooperative Kravica on 13 July 1995 as members of the 2nd Šekovići Special Police Detachment.
The Panel found that several thousand Bosniak men were captured and detained at the Sandići meadow in the morning and afternoon of 13 July. These men were part of the column of Bosniak men attempting to break out from the Srebrenica enclave after the capture of the enclave by the forces of the Republika Srpska. Many of these men were induced to surrender by deception, and were told they would be safe and taken to territory under control of ARBiH. At least one thousand of these men were then transported by bus or marched in a column to the warehouse of the Farming Cooperative Kravica, where they were further detained. Beginning in the early evening, shortly after the arrival of the column of men, these prisoners were executed in the warehouse by small arms fire, machine gun fire and the use of hand grenades.
The Panel also found that the Accused Milenko Trifunović and Aleksandar Radovanović were in front of the warehouse shooting at prisoners, whilst Brano Džinić was throwing hand grenades at them. Accused Slobodan Jakovljević, Branislav Medan, and Petar Mitrović, acted as armed guards at the rear of the warehouse in order to prevent the detained Bosniak men from escaping the ongoing killings through the windows at the rear of the warehouse. It is also found that Accused Mitrović fired from his automatic rifle at the detainees as well. The Panel concluded that these Accused perpetrated these acts with the genocidal intent, that is, with the aim to destroy in part a group of Bosniak people. These six Accused were accordingly found guilty as co-perpetrators in the commission of the criminal offense of Genocide.
In addition, the Panel found that the Accused Miloš Stupar was at the relevant time Commander of the 2nd Šekovići Detachment of the Special Police Brigade, that he knew of the criminal acts of his subordinates, and that he failed to take measures to punish them, having the genocidal intent as well. The Accused Stupar was accordingly also convicted of the crime of Genocide on the basis of command responsibility.
Four (4) Accused, Velibor Maksimović, Dragiša Živanović, Milovan Matić, and Miladin Stevanović, were acquitted of all charges. The Panel concluded that the Prosecutor failed to present sufficient legal evidence to prove beyond doubt that these Accused participated in committing the offense of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.
The custody against the Accused Miloš Stupar, Milenko Trifunović, Brano Džinić, Aleksandar Radovanović, Slobodan Jakovljević, Branislav Medan, and Petar Mitrović was extended and the time that they have spent in custody will be credited towards their sentence. The Accused Velibor Maksimović, Dragiša Živanović and Miladin Stevanović were released from custody, whilst custody against Milovan Matić was cancelled previously during the main trial.
Source: The Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
