Local Justice – Stevanovic: Guilty Verdict for Foca War Crimes
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The presiding judge, Dusko Popic, said that it had been determined, beyond reasonable doubt, that Stevanovic had participated in crimes against Bosniak civilians in the town of Foca in 1992.
The verdict says that Stevanovic is guilty of having beaten and raped V.S. from Foca on May 6, 1992.
On August 15, 1992 he raped Z.M. in front of her family at her house in the village of Krivaja, near Foca. Afterwards he killed three members of her family and set the house and the barn on fire. Z.M. managed to escape.
Following the pronouncement of the verdict, custody for Stevanovic was extended for an additional 90 days.
Stevanovic has the right to appeal the verdict at the Supreme Court of Republika Srpska.
According to several Hague Tribunal verdicts, in April 1992, Serb forces occupied Foca and surrounding area, which had a predominantly Bosniak population.
The occupation was followed by a widespread campaign of destruction, murder and terror against non-Serbs. Dozens of Bosniak women and girls were separated from men, detained at various locations and raped.
N.K.
