Draft Confidential RUF Apppeal Judgment
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SUD BOSNE I HERCEGOVINE СУД БОСНЕ И ХЕРЦЕГОВИНЕ COURT OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Number: S1 1 K 014263 13 Krž Date: 23 January 2014 Appellate Panel: Judge Tihomir Lukes, Presiding Judge Judge Azra Miletić, Reporting Judge Judge Mirko Božović, Member PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA v. Milenko Trifunović, Brano Džinić, Aleksandar Radovanović, Slobodan Jakovljević and Branislav Medan SECOND INSTANCE VERDICT Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ibro Bulić Defense Counsel for the Appellant Milenko Trifunović: Rade Golić and Petko Pavlović Defense Counsel for the Appellant Brano Džinić: Suzana Tomanović and Boriša Ilić Defense Counsel for the Appellant Aleksandar Radovanović: Dragan Gotovac and Nada Mandić Defense Counsel for the Appellant Slobodan Jakovljević: Boško Čegar and Slavko Ašćerić Defense Counsel for the Appellant Branislav Medan: Borislav Jamina and Zorna Kisin 1 S1 1 014263 13 Krž 23.01.2014. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY ........................................................................................................... 8 A. VERDICTS OF THE COURT OF BIH AND DECISION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA .................................................................................................................... 8 B. PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE APPELLATE PANEL ........................................................................ 12 II. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS .............................................................................................. 15 III. ESSENTIAL VIOLATIONS OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ....................................... 16 A. STANDARDS OF REVIEW ............................................................................................................ 16 1. Essential violations of the criminal procedure provisions under Article 297(1)a) of the CPC of BiH .................................................................................................................. 17 2. Essential violation of the criminal procedure, Article 297(1)b) of the CPC of BiH .... 19 3. Essential violation of the criminal procedure, Article 297(1)c) of the CPC of BiH .... 21 4. Essential violation of the criminal procedure, Article 297(1)d) of the CPC of BiH .... 26 5. Essential violation of the criminal procedure under Article 297(1)h) of the CPC of BiH ...................................................................................................................................... 32 6. Essential violation of the criminal procedure provisions under Article 297(1)(i) of the CPC of BiH .................................................................................................................. 34 7. Essential violation of the criminal procedure provisions under Article 297(1)(j) of the CPC of BiH .................................................................................................................. 54 8. Essential violation of the criminal procedure provisions under Article 297(1)(k) of the CPC of BiH .................................................................................................................. 56 9. Essential violation of the criminal procedure provisions under Article 297(2) of the CPC of BiH ........................................................................................................................ 57 IV. INCORRECTLY OR INCOMPLETELY ESTABLISHED FACTS ..................................... 59 A. STANDARDS OF APPELLATE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 59 1. Incorrectly or incompletely established facts .................................................................. 60 2. Joint Appeal Grievances .................................................................................................... 60 (a) Appeal by the Defense for Milenko Trifunović ................................................................ 67 (b) Appeal by the Defense for Brano Džinić ......................................................................... 72 (c) Appeal by the Defense for Aleksandar Radovanović .................................................... 76 2 S1 1 014263 13 Krž 23.01.2014. (d) Appeal by the Defense for Slobodan Jakovljević ........................................................... 79 (e) Appeal by the Defense for Branislav Medan .................................................................. 84 V. VIOLATIONS OF THE CRIMINAL CODE UNDER ARTICLE 298 OF THE CPC B-H .. 86 VI. DECISION ON THE CRIMINAL SANCTION ..................................................................... 104 (i) Sanction must be necessary and commensurate with the danger and threat to protected property ........................................................................................................ 106 (ii) Sanction must be “necessary” and “commensurate” with the suffering of direct and indirect victims of the crime ................................................................................ 107 (iii) Sanction must have a deterring effect on others. .................................................... 107 (iv) The purpose of punishment is to express the community’s condemnation of a perpetrated criminal offense ....................................................................................... 108 (v) Sanction must be necessary and proportionate to the necessity to raise awareness of citizens of the danger of criminal acts .............................................. 108 (vi) Sanction must be necessary and proportionate to the necessity to raise awareness of citizens of the fairness of punishing perpetrators. ......................... 109 3 S1 1 014263 13 Krž 23.01.2014. Number: S1 1 K 014263 13 Krž Sarajevo, 23 January 2014 IN THE NAME OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA! The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Appellate Division Panel of Section I for War Crimes, comprising Judge Tihomir Lukes, as the Presiding Judge, and judges Azra Miletić and Mirko Božović, as the Panel members, with the participation of legal advisor Belma Čano-Sejfović, as the record-taker, in the criminal case of the Accused Milenko Trifunović, Brano Džinić, Aleksandar Radovanović, Slobodan Jakovljević and Branislav Medan, charged with the criminal offense of Genocide under Article 171(a), as read with Articles 29 and 180(1) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, deciding on the appeals filed by attorney Rade Golić, Defense Counsel for the Accused Milenko Trifunović; attorney Suzana Tomanović, Defense Counsel for the Accused Brano Džinić; attorney Dragan Gotovac, Defense Counsel for the Accused Aleksandar Radovanović; attorney Boško Čegar, Defense Counsel for the Accused Slobodan Jakovljević; the appeal filed by the Accused Branislav Medan and the appeal filed by his Defense Counsel, attorney Borislav Jamina, from the Verdict of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina No: X-KR-05/24 dated 29 July 2008, with regard to the decision issued by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, No. AP-4065/09 dated 22 October 2013, at the session held on 23 January 2014, in the presence of the prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ibro Bulić, the Accused Milenko Trifunović, Brano Džinić, Aleksandar Radovanović, Slobodan Jakovljević and Branislav Medan and their Defense Counsel, delivered the verdict as follows. V E R D I C T The Appeals filed by the Defense Counsel for the Accused Milenko Trifunović, Brano Džinić, Aleksandar Radovanović, Slobodan Jakovljević and Branislav Medan, and the Accused Branislav Medan personally, are hereby partly upheld, and the Verdict No: X- KR-05/24 of 29 July 2008, delivered by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is hereby revised with regard to these Accused, as follows: 4 S1 1 014263 13 Krž 23.01.2014. THE ACCUSED: 1. Milenko Trifunović a.k.a. Čop, son of Ivan and Milojka, nee Obradović, born on 7 January 1967 in the village of Kostolomci, Srebrenica Municipality, residing in …, … by ethnicity, citizen of …, completed Vocational Trade School, unemployed, married, father of three minor children, served the Army in 1987 in Peć and Prizren, with no military rank or medal, registered in the Srebrenica military records, indigent, no previous convictions, no other criminal proceedings are being conducted against him, 2. Brano Džinić a.k.a. Čupo, son of Ratomir and Dragica, nee Erkić, born on 28 June 1974 in the village of Jelačići, Kladanj Municipality, residing in …, … by ethnicity, citizen of …, police officer by profession, single, no children, no previous convictions, no other criminal proceedings are being conducted against him, 3. Aleksandar Radovanović a.k.a. Aca, son of Ljubiša and Jela, nee Dragišević, born on 20 June 1973 in Bujakovići-Skelani, Srebrenica Municipality, permanent residence at …, … by ethnicity, citizen of …, police officer by profession, completed secondary school, married, father of one child, no previous convictions, no other criminal proceedings are being conducted against him 4. Slobodan Jakovljević a.k.a. Boban, son of Dobrislav and Kosa, born on 9 January 1964 in the village of Kušići, Srebrenica Municipality, residing in …, … by ethnicity, citizen of …, unemployed, married, father of three children, indigent, no previous convictions, no other criminal proceedings are being conducted against him 5. Branislav Medan a.k.a. Bane, son of Risto and Marta, nee Milić, born on 24 March 1965 in Dubrovnik, permanent residence in …, … by ethnicity, citizen of …, laborer, completed primary