Prosecutor V Milorad Krnojelac to Trial Chamber II, 17 June 1998
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
UNITED NATIONS International Tribunal for the Case No.: IT-97-25-T Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Date: 15 March 2002 Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia Original: English Since 1991 IN TRIAL CHAMBER II Before: Judge David Hunt, Presiding Judge Florence Ndepele Mwachande Mumba Judge Liu Daqun Registrar: Mr Hans Holthuis Judgment of: 15 March 2002 PROSECUTOR v. MILORAD KRNOJELAC JUDGMENT Counsel for the Prosecutor: Ms Hildegard Uertz-Retzlaff Ms Peggy Kuo Mr William Smith Counsel for the Accused: Mr Mihajlo Bakrac Mr Miroslav Vasi} 1 Case No: IT-97-25-T 15 March 2002 I. SUMMARY OF THE CHARGES............................................................................. 4 II. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF ARTICLE 3 AND ARTICLE 5 OF THE STATUTE........................................................................................................... 7 A. Facts relevant to the general requirements of Article 3 and Article 5 of the Statute 7 B. General requirements under Article 3 of the Statute .............................................. 20 C. General requirements under Article 5 of the Statute .............................................. 21 D. Findings in respect of the general requirements of Articles 3 and 5 of the Statute 24 III. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE......................................................................................................... 27 IV. INDIVIDUAL CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUPERIOR RESPONSIBILITY................................................................................................... 30 A. Individual criminal responsibility under Article 7(1) of the Statute ...................... 30 1. Joint criminal enterprise ..................................................................................... 32 2. Aiding and abetting............................................................................................. 36 B. Superior responsibility under Article 7(3) of the Statute........................................ 37 V. THE ACCUSED'S POSITION AS WARDEN……………………………………39 VI. CRIMES UNDER ARTICLE 3 AND ARTICLE 5 OF THE STATUTE............ 50 A. Imprisonment........................................................................................................ 50 1. The law ............................................................................................................... 50 2. Findings: the imprisonment of non-Serb men at the KP Dom ........................... 53 3. The responsibility of the Accused ...................................................................... 57 B. Inhumane acts and cruel treatment.................................................................... 60 1. The law ............................................................................................................... 60 2. Findings .............................................................................................................. 61 3. The responsibility of the Accused ...................................................................... 74 C. Cruel treatment, inhumane acts and torture ..................................................... 77 1. The law ............................................................................................................... 77 (a) Cruel treatment and inhumane acts .............................................................. 77 (b) Torture.......................................................................................................... 78 2. Findings .............................................................................................................. 82 (a) Cruel treatment and inhumane acts (par 5.4 to 5.16) ................................... 82 (i) Beatings upon arrival in the prison yard (par 5.4 to 5.6).......................... 82 (ii) Beatings associated with the canteen (par 5.7 to 5.16) ........................... 83 (iii) Beatings in Schedule A .......................................................................... 87 (b) Torture, cruel treatment and inhumane acts (par 5.17 to 5.29) .................... 89 (i) Torture and beatings as punishment (par 5.17 to 5.21) ............................ 89 (ii) Torture and beatings during interrogations (par 5.22 to 5.29) ................ 96 (iii) Torture and beatings in Schedule B ..................................................... 105 3. The responsibility of the Accused .................................................................... 123 D. Murder................................................................................................................. 129 1. The law ............................................................................................................. 130 2. Findings: Schedule C killings........................................................................... 132 3. The responsibility of the Accused .................................................................... 141 2 Case No: IT-97-25-T 15 March 2002 E. Enslavement ........................................................................................................ 144 1. The law ............................................................................................................. 144 2. Findings ............................................................................................................ 149 (a) Par 5.41 and forced labour.......................................................................... 149 (b) Par 5.42 and forced labour ......................................................................... 152 (c) Par 5.43 and forced labour.......................................................................... 156 (d) Par 5.44 and forced labour ......................................................................... 164 (e) Par 5.45 and forced labour.......................................................................... 172 (f) Findings with respect to remaining allegations of forced labour................ 175 (g) Remaining Schedule E detainees and forced labour .................................. 178 3. The responsibility of the Accused .................................................................... 179 F. Persecution........................................................................................................... 180 1. The law ............................................................................................................. 180 2. Findings ............................................................................................................ 184 (a) Imprisonment as persecution...................................................................... 184 (b) Inhumane conditions as persecution .......................................................... 185 (c) Torture, inhumane acts and cruel treatment as persecution ....................... 187 (d) Killing as persecution................................................................................. 195 (e) Forced labour as persecution ...................................................................... 196 (f) Deportation and expulsion as persecution .................................................. 197 3. The responsibility of the Accused .................................................................... 204 VII. SENTENCING CONSIDERATIONS................................................................... 211 VIII. DISPOSITION......................................................................................................... 228 A. Sentence..................................................................................................................... 228 B. Credit for Time Served.............................................................................................. 229 ANNEX I : GLOSSARY OF TERMS............................................................................. 230 ANNEX II – PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND........................................................... 235 A. Pre–trial phase........................................................................................................... 235 B. The trial phase ........................................................................................................... 236 3 Case No: IT-97-25-T 15 March 2002 I. SUMMARY OF THE CHARGES 1. Milorad Krnojelac (“Accused”) is charged under the third amended indictment (“Indictment”), dated 25 June 2001, with 12 counts.1 2. The Prosecution alleges that, on 7 April 1992, Serb military forces began the occupation of Fo~a town. The occupation was completed on 16 or 17 April 1992. Once the Serb forces had gained control over parts of Fo~a town, military police, accompanied by local and non-local soldiers, started to arrest Muslim and other non-Serb inhabitants. Men and women were separated and arrested. Beginning on or around 14 April 1992, the Fo~a Kazneno-Popravni Dom (“KP Dom”), a prison, became the primary detention centre for Muslim and other non-Serb men, as well as for a few Serbs who had tried to avoid military service. The Prosecution alleges that the KP Dom was overcrowded during the first few months due to the continuing arrests, most of the detainees being civilians who had not been charged with any crime. 3. The Prosecution alleges that the Accused was the commander of the KP Dom from April 1992 until August 1993, and that as such he was responsible for running the detention camp. He was in a position of superior authority with respect to