Persons indicted

Defendant: AA

Rank(s) of person(s) indicted

Defendant's rank: lower military

Indictment date

07/08/2009

Case stage

finally resolved

Duration of proceedings since trial commencement

8 months 18 days

Witnesses examined

9

Date and outcome of the first instance verdict

12/07/2009

13 years in prison

Date and outcome of decision on appeal

03/26/2010

Decision on appeal: Judgment confirmed

Date and outcome of verdict in new trial

/

Criminal offence

war crime against civilian population under art. 142 (1) of the FRY Criminal Act

Background facts

According to the court's findings, on 21 December 1992, the defendant, acting as a member of the Republic of Srpska's Army, killed two Bosnian Muslim civilians in Stari Majdan, area of Sanski Most, BH. Specifically, the defendant forced three civilians out of a local guest house, whereupon he killed two of them on the spot and heavily wounded the third, who nevertheless managed to escape. The court also found that at the time of the crime commission the defendant was under the influence of alcohol.

Procedural remarks

Initially conducted before the investigative military judge in Banja Luka, investigation in this case was completed and a relevant indictment raised before the Cantonal Court in Bihać, BH. As the defendant was not available to the BH authorities, the court in Bihać initiated a procedure for the case referral to the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor.