SUD BOSNE I HERCEGOVINE СУД БОСНЕ И ХЕРЦЕГОВИНЕ COURT OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Case No.: X-KR-07/336 Date: Delivered 13 April 2010 Published 16 July 2010 Before: Judge, Davorin Jukić, Presiding Judge Darko Samardžić Judge Patricia Whalen PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA v. SULJO KARAJIĆ FIRST INSTANCE VERDICT Counsel for the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Vesna Ilić Counsel for the Accused: Hasan Veladžić Alaga Bajramović X-KR-07/336 - 1 - 13 April 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS V E R D I C T .....................................................................................................................................4 I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................12 A. PRESENTED EVIDENCE ...............................................................................................................12 1. Prosecution.............................................................................................................................12 2. Defense ..................................................................................................................................13 B. CLOSING ARGUMENTS................................................................................................................13 1. Prosecution.............................................................................................................................13 2. Defense ..................................................................................................................................17 II. PROCEDURAL DECISIONS ...................................................................................................20 A. DECISIONS ON PROTECTION OF WITNESSES................................................................................20 B. DECISION ON THE EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC............................................................................21 C. EXPIRATION OF 30-DAY DEADLINE ............................................................................................21 III. APPLICABLE LAW.................................................................................................................23 A. LEGAL PROVISIONS ....................................................................................................................23 B. PRINCIPLE OF LEGALITY.............................................................................................................24 C. EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS CASE LAW.....................................................................25 IV. GENERAL CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE .................................................................27 A. CREDIBILITY OF WITNESSES.......................................................................................................27 B. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE .....................................................................................................29 V. RELEVANT LAW ON CRIMINAL OFFENCES ..................................................................30 A. ARTICLE 175 WAR CRIMES AGAINST PRISONERS OF WAR ........................................................30 B. ARTICLE 173 WAR CRIMES AGAINST CIVILIANS........................................................................32 C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: ARTICLE 173 AND ARTICLE 175 OF CC OF BIH ..............................34 VI. GENERAL OVERVIEW..........................................................................................................40 VII. FINDINGS REGARDING THE ACCUSED SULJO KARAJIĆ .......................................42 VIII. FINDING S ON THE STATUS OF CIVILIANS................................................................47 IX. FINDINGS ON THE STATUS OF PRISONERS OF WAR.................................................52 X. FACTUAL FINDINGS...............................................................................................................54 A. INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................54 B. SPECIFIC CRIMES ........................................................................................................................55 1. Murder....................................................................................................................................55 2. Cruel treatment/ Inhumane treatment ....................................................................................67 C. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................78 XI. INDIVIDUAL CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ACCUSED SULJO KARAJIĆ...................................................................................................................................79 A. DEFENSE OF DIMINISHED CAPACITY ..........................................................................................80 XII. ACQUITAL..............................................................................................................................82 X-KR-07/336 - 2 - 13 April 2010 XIII. SENTENCING........................................................................................................................86 A. SENTENCING THAT IS NECESSARY AND COMMENSURATE WITH THE GRAVITY OF THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE ...................................................................................................................................86 1. The sentence prescribed shall be necessary and commensurate with the level of the threat against persons and values protected (Article 2 of the CC of BiH) ....................................86 2. Criminal sanction shall be commensurate with the extent of suffering, and be sufficient to deter others from similar criminal offenses in the future (Article 6 and 39 of the CC of BiH).....................................................................................................................................86 3. The criminal sanction shall reflect the community’s condemnation of the conduct of the accused (Article 39 of the CC of BiH)................................................................................87 4. Criminal sanction shall be necessary and commensurate with the educational purposes of the Code, meaning that persons should be made aware of the danger of the crime as well as the justice inherent in punishing criminals (Article 39 of the CC of BiH) .....................87 B. THE SENTENCE OR CRIMINAL SANCTION MUST BE NECESSARY AND COMMENSURATE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL PERPETRATOR .......................................................................................................87 C. DEFENDANT................................................................................................................................88 1. The degree of liability............................................................................................................88 2. The conduct and personal situation of the Accused...............................................................88 3. Motive....................................................................................................................................89 4. The personality of the Accused..............................................................................................90 5. Reduction of punishment according to the Code...................................................................90 6. Deterrence and social rehabilitation.......................................................................................90 D. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................90 XIV. DECISION ON THE COSTS AND PROPERTY CLAIMS ..............................................92 XV. ANNEX 1 AND ANNEX 2.......................................................................................................93 X-KR-07/336 - 3 - 13 April 2010 IN THE NAME OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Panel comprised of Judges Davorin Jukić, as the Presiding Judge, and Darko Samardžić and Patricia Whalen, as members of the Panel, with the participation of Legal Officer Elma Karović, as the record-taker, in the criminal case against Accused Suljo Karajić, for the criminal offense offence of War Crimes against Prisoners of War under Article 175 (1) a) and b) and War Crimes against Civilians under Article 173 (1) c) and e), in conjunction with Article 180 (1) of the CC of BiH, as read with Article 29 of the CC of BiH, pursuant to the Indictment of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina number KT-RZ- 130/07 dated 25 December 2007, confirmed on 4 January 2008, amended on 23 September 2009, after the main trial, in the presence of Accused Suljo Karajić and his Defense Counsels, attorneys Hasan Veladžić and Alaga Bajramović and Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vesna Ilić, on 13 April 2010 delivered and pronounced the following: V E R D I C T THE ACCUSED: KARAJIĆ SULJO a.k.a. “HODŽA”, son of Ćamil and Hata nee Šakanović, born on 20 July 1968 in the settlement of Trnovi, Municipality of Velika Kladuša, residing in Velika Kladuša, settlement of Joše, Lamela 4, entrance A, of Bosniak ethnicity, citizen of BiH, educator by occupation, in the bee-keeping business, literate, completed a teacher training college, married, father of two children,