Persons indicted

Defendants:
AA, AD, AG, AB, AV

Rank(s) of person(s) indicted

lower military

Indictment date

10/06/2009

Case stage

Case status: finally resolved

Duration of proceedings since trial commencement

1 year 3 months

Witnesses examined

14

Date and outcome of the first instance verdict

06/23/2010

First instance judgment / years in prison:
AD - 3
AA - 3
AG - 2
AB - acquitted of charges
AV - charges withdrawn

Date and outcome of decision on appeal

01/09/2011

Decision on appeal:
AD, AA, AG: lower court's judgment confirmed
AB: judgment abolished, new trial ordered

Date and outcome of verdict in new trial

01/11/2012

Judgment in new trial:
AB - 1 year in prison

Additional info

Decision on appeal

* AB: 1 year in prison

Decision on appeal

* AB: acquitted of charges

Criminal offence

war crime against prisoners of war under art. 144 of the FRY Criminal Act

Background facts

According to the court's findings, in the period between 3 and 8 September 1991, defendants AA, AG and AD, at the time members of the Territorial Defence and reserve police force in the area of Gospić, Croatia, engaged in the torture of Croatian police members who had laid down their arms.

* Being found guilty for the first time in appellate proceedings, defendant AB was entitled to additional appeal (see art. 463, Criminal Procedure Code)

Procedural remarks

In a trial held in absentia before a court in Croatia, the defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 6 to 8 years. The Croatian State Prosecutor subsequently referred the case to the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor.