Koricanske stijene: Warrant against Dusan Jankovic still in Force

The Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina revoked the first instance verdict against Zoran Babic, Milorad Skrbic, Dusan Jankovic and Zeljko Stojnic, who were sentenced to a total of 86 years in prison for the murder of about 150 people at Koricanske stijene, and ordered a retrial.

Under the same decision, the Court terminated the custody measure in the case of Babic, Skrbic, Stojnic and Jankovic, which was ordered following the pronouncement of the first instance verdict in December last year, and ordered prohibiting measures instead.

However, Jankovic failed to attend the pronouncement of the first instance verdict under which he was found guilty and sentenced to 27 years in prison.He has been on the run since December 2010.

As per a proposal made by the State Prosecution, the warrant against Jankovic was issued. At the same time, the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA and border crossings were informed about his flight.

The Public Relations Section of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina says that, despite the termination of custody for Jankovic, the warrant against him was still in force.

“In case Dusan Jankovic is deprived of liberty, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be informed about it. Only then it will consider the possibility of ordering him into custody,” the State Court said.

Despite this, the associations of victims have expressed their disapproval of the decision on termination of custody for the indictees, who are charged with crimes at Koricanske stijene. Edin Ramulic, member of “Izvor” Association from Prijedor, said that he considered that “nobody has searched” for Jankovic at all.

“The other indictees can decide not to show up. They can use the fact that they are at liberty, hide somewhere and wait. Jankovic did that. He is now actually at liberty. The Court should take those things into account and show at least a little consideration for the injured parties, families of the victims, who have not even been informed that they were released,” Ramulic said.

Ramulic said that he had already seen Milorad Skrbic in Prijedor, adding that he thought that this would cause problems as witnesses would refuse to respond to State Court’s invitations.

“In the long run such decisions made by the Court are not understandable to us. Those decisions will lead to a situation where people will be even more reluctant to testify at war crimes trials. Judging by the way I have been affected by this decision, I can only imagine how the families of the injured parties and victims, who testified in this case, feel. The fact that all of them are at liberty is discouraging,” Ramulic said.

In late last year the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina pronounced the first instance verdict, sentencing both Babic and Skrbic, former members of the Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, to 22 years in prison and Stojnic, former member of that unit, to 15 years for the killing of more than 150 male civilians at Koricanske stijene in August 1992.

Under the same verdict Jankovic, former Commander of the Public Safety Station from Prijedor, was pronounced guilty of having ordered the murders, while Milorad Radakovic was acquitted of the charges.

Both the Defence and State Prosecution appealed the verdict. The Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina revoked the verdict and ordered a retrial, also confirming the part of the verdict, acquitting
Milorad Radakovic of the charges.

D.Dz.