Karajic: Verdict Due on April 9

19 March 2010  The Trial Chamber is due to pronounce a first instance verdict in the case of Suljo Karajic, a former member of the Fifth Corps with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who is charged with crimes committed in the Bihac area, on Friday, April 9, 2010.

Radio Justice Report

 

"The background and character of the conflict with the National Defence of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region led to a specific armed conflict. The Defence of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina was fractured and brought into question. Families were divided, because it was difficult to accept that brothers shot at each other or fathers shot at their sons. The indictee did not manage to adapt to the situation," Alaga Bajramovic, Karajic's Defence attorney, said, presenting the Defence's closing arguments.  

On the third day of closing arguments the Defence particularly mentioned the counts charging Karajic with having "abetted and ordered" the beating of captured members of the National Defence of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region, ND WBAR, in Todorovska Slapnica and Latica Glavica, Velika Kladusa municipality, in December 1994.

"In relation to these counts, we would like to stress that the Prosecution has not proved the existence of a military police squad in the mentioned period of time. It has not identified the subordinate individuals who committed the beatings," Bajramovic said.

The State Prosecution charges Suljo Karajic, known as Hodza, former Commander of the Second Military Police Squad with the 505th Motorized Cavalry Brigade of the Fifth Corps with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, with crimes committed against prisoners-of-war and civilians during the conflict between the ABiH and ND WBAR in 1994 and 1995.

The WBAR and its National Defence were established by Fikret Abdic, a former member of the Bosnian Presidency, in 1993. They existed until 1995. Abdic was sentenced, in Croatia, to 15 years in prison for crimes committed in that area.

The Defence said Karajic's "health has seriously deteriorated", adding that he had no previous criminal record. It called on the Court to take these two facts into consideration as mitigating circumstances.

"We would like to particularly mention his correct behaviour during the course of the trial and the fact that he admitted certain facts, thus helping to establish the truth and showing that he regrets the crimes he committed and accepts responsibility for his actions," Defence attorney Bajramovic said.

Testifying in his own defence at the beginning of last year, Karajic admitted crimes cited in three counts, but he denied responsibility for the other crimes charged upon him.

The Defence called on the Court to release Karajic, who has been held in custody since October 2007, and order prohibiting measures against him after the pronouncement of the verdict. He said the request was based on the fact that "the reasons for custody extension, cited by the Prosecution, are absolutely groundless".

The trial of Karajic began in March 2008. The State Prosecution presented its closing arguments in January this year, calling on the Court to sentence Karajic to long-term imprisonment.