IT-06-90-T 38520 D38520 - D37937 International Tribunal for the UNITED Case No. IT-06-90-T Prosecution of Persons Responsible for NATIONS Serious Violations of International Date: 15 April 2011 Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia Original: English since 1991 IN TRIAL CHAMBER I Before: Judge Alphons Orie, Presiding Judge Uldis Ėinis Judge Elizabeth Gwaunza Registrar: Mr John Hocking Judgement of: 15 April 2011 PROSECUTOR v. ANTE GOTOVINA IVAN ČERMAK MLADEN MARKAČ PUBLIC ______________________________________________________________________ JUDGEMENT VOLUME II OF II ______________________________________________________________________ Office of the Prosecutor Counsel for Ante Gotovina Mr Alan Tieger Mr Luka Mišetić Mr Stefan Waespi Mr Gregory Kehoe Ms Prashanti Mahindaratne Mr Payam Akhavan Ms Katrina Gustafson Mr Edward Russo Counsel for Ivan Čermak Mr Saklaine Hedaraly Mr Ryan Carrier Mr Steven Kay, QC Ms Gillian Higgins Counsel for Mladen Markač Mr Goran Mikuličić Mr Tomislav Kuzmanović 38519 Table of contents General abbreviations 7 1. Introduction 9 2. Sources and use of evidence 13 3. The Accused 37 3.1 Ante Gotovina and the Split Military District 37 3.1.1 Position of Ante Gotovina within the Split Military District 37 3.1.2 Ante Gotovina's powers as a commander 52 3.2 Ivan Čermak and the Knin garrison 73 3.3 Mladen Markač and the Special Police 86 4. Crimes committed in municipalities (July-September 1995) 105 4.1 Murders 105 4.1.1 Overview of the charges 105 4.1.2 Benkovac municipality 106 4.1.3 Civljane municipality 108 4.1.4 Donji Lapac municipality 108 4.1.5 Drniš municipality 115 4.1.6 Ervenik municipality 115 4.1.7 Gračac municipality 129 4.1.8 Kistanje municipality 142 4.1.9 Knin municipality 168 4.1.10 Lišane Ostrovičke municipality 277 4.1.11 Lisičić municipality 277 4.1.12 Nadvoda municipality 277 4.1.13 Obrovac municipality 277 4.1.14 Oklaj municipality 278 4.1.15 Orlić municipality 278 4.2 Destruction of Serb property and plunder of public or private Serb property 303 4.2.1 Overview of the charges 303 4.2.2 Benkovac municipality 318 4.2.3 Civljane municipality 330 4.2.4 Donji Lapac municipality 337 4.2.5 Drniš municipality 365 795 Case No.: IT-06-90-T 15 April 2011 38518 4.2.6 Ervenik municipality 367 4.2.7 Gračac municipality 374 4.2.8 Kistanje municipality 408 4.2.9 Knin municipality 452 4.2.10 Lišane Ostrovičke municipality 523 4.2.11 Lisičić municipality 523 4.2.12 Nadvoda municipality 523 4.2.13 Obrovac municipality 525 4.2.14 Oklaj municipality 528 4.2.15 Orlić municipality 530 4.3 Inhumane acts and cruel treatment 568 4.3.1 Overview of the charges 568 4.3.2 Benkovac municipality 568 4.3.3 Civljane municipality 571 4.3.4 Donji Lapac municipality 571 4.3.5 Drniš municipality 571 4.3.6 Ervenik municipality 571 4.3.7 Gračac municipality 572 4.3.8 Kistanje municipality 577 4.3.9 Knin municipality 579 4.3.10 Lišane Ostrovičke municipality 590 4.3.11 Lisičić municipality 590 4.3.12 Nadvoda municipality 590 4.3.13 Obrovac municipality 590 4.3.14 Oklaj municipality 590 4.3.15 Orlić municipality 590 4.4 Unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian objects 594 4.4.1 Overview of the charges 594 4.4.2 General considerations 594 4.4.3 Knin town 603 4.4.4 Benkovac town 733 4.4.5 Gračac town 751 4.4.6 Obrovac town 772 4.4.7 Donji Lapac town 777 796 Case No.: IT-06-90-T 15 April 2011 38517 4.4.8 Strmica town 787 4.5 Deportation and forcible transfer 800 4.5.1 Overview of the charges 800 4.5.2 Serb evacuation plans 801 4.5.3 Deportation and forcible transfer in the Indictment municipalities 819 4.5.4 The persons who took refuge at the UN compound 850 4.5.5 Reception and collection centres 870 5. Legal findings on crimes 885 5.1 Violations of the laws or customs of war: general elements and jurisdictional requirements 885 5.1.1 Applicable law 885 5.1.2 Findings on armed conflict 888 5.2 Crimes against humanity: general elements and jurisdictional requirements 900 5.2.1 Applicable law 900 5.2.2 Legal findings 902 5.3 Murder 912 5.3.1 Applicable law 912 5.3.2 Legal findings 912 5.4 Deportation and forcible transfer 914 5.4.1 Applicable law 914 5.4.2 Legal findings 916 5.5 Wanton destruction 925 5.5.1 Applicable law 925 5.5.2 Legal findings 926 5.6 Plunder of public or private property 929 5.6.1 Applicable law 929 5.6.2 Legal findings 930 5.7 Inhumane acts and cruel treatment 934 5.7.1 Applicable law 934 5.7.2 Legal findings 935 5.8 Persecution 936 5.8.1 Applicable law 936 5.8.2 Legal findings 947 6. The liability of the Accused 983 6.1 Applicable law 983 797 Case No.: IT-06-90-T 15 April 2011 38516 6.1.1 Joint criminal enterprise 983 6.1.2 Committing, planning, instigating, ordering, and aiding and abetting 986 6.1.3 Superior responsibility 989 6.2 The alleged objective and membership of a joint criminal enterprise 992 6.2.1 Overview of the charges 992 6.2.2 The Brioni meeting on 31 July 1995 and the preparation for Operation Storm 993 6.2.3 The policy of the Croatian political leadership with regard to the Serb minority and return of refugees and internally displaced persons 1006 6.2.4 Property laws 1034 6.2.5 Croatian investigatory policy 1054 6.2.6 The follow-up in relation to the incidents in Grubori and Ramljane on 25 and 26 August 1995 1119 6.2.7 Conclusion 1171 6.3 Ante Gotovina’s liability 1178 6.3.1 Introduction 1178 6.3.2 Gotovina’s command over Split Military District forces and his participation in planning their operational use 1178 6.3.3 Creating and supporting discriminatory policies against Serbs 1179 6.3.4 Disseminating information intended to cause the departure of Serbs 1179 6.3.5 Condoning, minimizing or failing to prevent or punish crimes committed by subordinates against Serbs 1179 6.3.6 Legal findings on Gotovina’s liability 1198 6.4 Ivan Čermak’s liability 1202 6.4.1 Introduction 1202 6.4.2 Čermak’s control over and use of various forces 1202 6.4.3 Failure to prevent or punish crimes 1235 6.4.4 Disseminating information intended to cause the departure of Serbs 1247 6.4.5 Furthering violence against Serbs and a climate of fear among Serbs 1247 6.4.6 Creating and supporting discriminatory policies against Serbs 1249 6.4.7 Disseminating false information regarding crimes 1261 6.4.8 Legal findings on Čermak’s liability 1313 6.5 Mladen Markač’s liability 1316 6.5.1 Introduction 1316 6.5.2 Markač’s command of the Special Police 1316 6.5.3 Creating and supporting discriminatory policies against Serbs 1318 6.5.4 Disseminating information intended to cause the departure of Serbs 1319 798 Case No.: IT-06-90-T 15 April 2011 38515 6.5.5 Condoning, minimizing or failing to prevent or punish crimes committed by subordinates against Serbs 1319 6.5.6 Legal findings on Markač’s liability 1322 7. Cumulative convictions 1328 8. Sentencing 1330 8.1 Law on sentencing 1330 8.2 Purpose of sentencing 1331 8.3 Sentencing factors 1332 8.3.1 Gravity of the offences and the totality of the culpable conduct 1332 8.3.2 Individual circumstances of Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač 1335 8.3.3 General practice regarding the prison sentences in the courts of the former Yugoslavia 1337 8.3.4 Credit for the time served in custody 1338 8.4 Determination of sentences 1338 9. Disposition 1340 10. Partly dissenting opinion of Judge Uldis Ėinis 1342 Appendices A. Procedural history 1344 B. Table of cases with abbreviations 1373 C. Confidential Appendix 1378 799 Case No.: IT-06-90-T 15 April 2011 38514 4.5 Deportation and forcible transfer 4.5.1 Overview of the charges 1509. The Indictment charges the Accused with deportation and inhumane acts (forcible transfer) as crimes against humanity and as underlying acts of the crime against humanity of persecution from at least July 1995 to about 30 September 1995, in all the Indictment municipalities. 1510. According to the Indictment, members of the Krajina Serb population were forcibly transferred and/or deported from the southern portion of the Krajina region to the SFRY, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and/or other parts of Croatia by the threat and/or commission of violent and intimidating acts (including plunder and destruction of property).1 The Indictment sets out that “[t]he orchestrated campaign to drive the Serbs from the Krajina region” began before Operation Storm largely by the use of propaganda, disinformation and psychological warfare.2 During the operation, Croatian forces shelled civilian areas, entered civilian Serb settlements at night, and threatened those civilians who had not already fled, with gunfire and other intimidation.3 Further, according to the Indictment, organized and systematic plunder and destruction of Serb owned or inhabited property was part and parcel of the campaign to drive out any remaining Serbs from the area and/or to prevent or discourage those who had fled from returning.4 Additionally, “[s]ome who were attempting to flee were rounded up, loaded into vehicles and transported to detention facilities and ‘collection centres,’ to better ensure that they did not return to their settlements”.5 In the Final Brief, the Prosecution summarized its position and identified two means of deportation and forcible transfer: 1) unlawful artillery attacks on civilian populated areas during Operation Storm, and 2) a subsequent campaign of crimes, including killings, destruction, plunder, and unlawful detentions.6 In respect of the former, the Trial Chamber recalls its findings with regard to unlawful attacks against civilians and civilian objects in chapters 4.4.3 to 4.4.6 and chapter 5.8.2 (i).