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The Appellate Chamber of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has released attorney Dragan Barbaric from his duties. Ragib Hodzic from Zenica will now serve as indictee Marko Radic’s attorney.
Mirza Jusufovic, Chairman of the Appellate Chamber with the State Court, said that the legal preconditions for continuing the trial of four former members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, who are charged with crimes committed in the Mostar area, had now been met.
At the last hearing, held on September 28, Radic said that he decided to revoke the power of attorney for Dragan Barbaric, who represented him for nearly five years, due to “disagreements” between them.
By a first instance verdict, pronounced by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in February last year, Radic, former Commander of the HVO’s First Bijelo Polje Battalion, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for participation in a series of crimes committed against prisoners in Vojno detention camp during the course of 1993 and 1994.
Dragan Sunjic, former Commander of Vojno prison, near Mostar, was sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment, Damir Brekalo, former HVO member, was sentenced to 20 and Mirko Vracevic, former guard in Vojno prison, to 14 years for the same crimes.
The first instance verdict pronounced them guilty of participation in a joint criminal enterprise with the aim of persecuting Bosnian Muslims and causing them physical injuries which resulted in the death of several people.
The Appellate Chamber revoked the first instance verdict and ordered a retrial, which began in July 2010.
At this hearing the Court continued listening to audio recordings of testimonies given at the first instance trial. According to the State Court’s official timetable, the retrial is due to continue on Tuesday, October 27.
D.Dz.
