Local Justice – Stjepanovic: Verdict of Release Requested

Music said that Brcko District Prosecution witnesses did not see whether indictee Stjepanovic participated in the attacks on Serb settlements in Bosanska Bijela, Cerik and Bukvik in the Brcko area, where many civilians were killed.

“Nobody could say whether the indictee killed anybody. Many of them said that they did not even know the indictee,” Music said.

According to Music, on the basis of Prosecution witnesses’ statements and material evidence, it could only be concluded that the indictee was member of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO at the beginning of the war in Brcko.

“The Prosecutor was not able to prove, during the presentation of evidence, that the indictee participated in the attacks or that he ordered or personally participated in the murders,” Music said, proposing to the Court to acquit his client of charges.

According to the Brcko District Military Prosecution’s charges, Stjepanovic is responsible for several murders, pillaging and the destruction of property in Bijela, Cerik and Bukvik villages in the Brcko area during the past war.

The Prosecution presented its closing statement at the beginning of November this year. It requested the Court to sentence Stjepanovic for crimes committed in the Brcko area.

According to Prosecutor Gojko Stjepanovic’s closing statement, the evidence confirmed that the indictee committed the crimes charged upon him with premeditation.

The pronouncement of the verdict is scheduled for November 30.