Koricanske stijene: Runaway Jankovic in Courtroom

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed that Jankovic would be taken to a detention facility, as per a decision rendered on October 31, 2011.

In December 2010 Jankovic, former Commander of the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for crimes committed at Koricanske stijene on Mount Vlasic.

Jankovic, who, just like the other indictees, defended himself while at liberty during the trial, failed to appear at the pronouncement of the verdict. A warrant against him was issued after that.

Besides Jankovic, Zoran Babic, Milorad Skrbic and Zeljko Stojnic, former members of the Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, will undergo retrial.

Under the first instance verdict, Babic and Skrbic were sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment each, while Stojnic was sentenced to 15 years for the murder of more than 150 Bosniak male civilians committed at Koricanske stijene on August 21, 1992. Milorad Radakovic was acquitted of the charges.

In October 2011 the Appellate Chamber revoked the part of the verdict related to Babic, Skrbic, Stojnic and Jankovic and ordered a retrial.

The retrial began with presentation of introductory arguments and hearing of statements given during the first instance trial.

Prosecutor Slavica Terzic said that the State Prosecution’s evidence would depict the crimes committed at Koricanske stijene and indictees’ roles.

“We have got statements given by numerous witnesses. The crime survivors represent a special group among them. Those people were separated from others and survived the execution by jumping down and saving their lives,” Terzic said.

The Defence of the four indictee said that they did not deny that the event happened at Koricanske stijene, but their clients did not participated in the executions. They said that they would try to prove that, just like they did during the first instance trial.

The Appellate Chamber accepted the proposal to hear statements given by 20 Prosecution witnesses, six witnesses, who testified in defence of Zeljko Babic, including the indictee’s testimony, 12 witnesses, who testified in defence of Milorad Skrbic, including his testimony as witness, as well as seven witnesses who also testified for the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Appellate Chamber will render a decision concerning a proposal by the Defence of Dusan Jankovic for hearing of 29 witnesses’ statements at a later stage.