Dautovic – Victim of Politics

“These indictees have nothing to do with these crimes. Also, we have irrefutable evidence against those who are guilty of them,” attorney Refik Serdarevic said.He said that Dautovic performed his duties legally and according to all rules and that the making of the indictment was taken too easily. Serdarevic said that no pieces of evidence indicated that Dautovic knew what was happening to detainees. “It is unquestionable that detainees surrendered to Dautovic, but the Commander of the 307th Brigade and Commander of the Defence Headquarters were there as well. They were under the control of the 307th Brigade as of the moment they were handed over,” the Defence attorney explained. He pointed out that the facilities in which detainees were held were not important, but what was important was who had the effective control over them. Commenting on the legal classification of crimes, charging Dautovic with war crimes against the civilian population, Serdarevic said that all civilians were released. The Defence attorney said that it was not true that Dautovic was “a big fish, which the Prosecutor often said”, adding that the key perpetrators had still not been punished. In November 2011 the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina rendered a first instance verdict under which Dautovic, Chief of Police in Bugojno and member of the wartime Presidency, was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Under the same verdict, Nisvet Gasal, former Manager of a detention camp at the “Iskra” stadium, was sentenced to six years in prison and guard Musajb Kukavica acquitted of all charges. Presenting his closing statement, indictee Gasal said that the Prosecution had not proved his guilt and called for a verdict of release. He said that military police selected people, who performed forced labour, and that he did not give any type of consent to Musajb Kukavica about the lists of persons who were forced to perform labour. The indictee commented the torture of prisoners at the stadium in Bugojno as well. “Two beating incidents happened during my stay. I informed Senad Dautovic about them, so the guards, who beat prisoners, were sanctioned,” the indictee said.

The trial is due to continue on November 6, when indictee Dautovic and the Defence of indictee Musajb Kukavica will present their closing statements.