No Evidence against Veselko and Ivo Raguz

The Defence attorneys requested a verdict of release due to lack of evidence, claiming that State Prosecution’s witnesses and documents were unreliable. 

According to the charges, Veselko Raguz, former Commander of the “Knez Domagoj” Fourth Brigade with the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, ordered, assisted or directly participated in the taking away, detention and abuse of Bosniaks from the Stolac area in the summer of 1993. 

“Honourable Court, there is no evidence that the Fourth Battalion participated in the deprivation of Muslims soldiers and civilians of their liberty,” said Branko Karadeglic, Defence attorney of Veselko Raguz.

He said that “objectivity of Prosecutor Remzija Smailagic has been missing” in this case, adding that she “has led to misconceptions” during the trial.  

He said that, in her closing statement the Prosecutor often said that Veselko Raguz “ordered, assisted, committed” actions, but she failed to support those allegations with facts. 

According to the charges, after having captured them, members of the “Knez Domagoj” Fourth Brigade and other units took Bosniaks to Kostana hospital and “Branko Sotra” school building, Stolac municipality, and Dretelj detention camp, Capljina municipality. 

“The Prosecutor has not offered one single piece of evidence that the deportations were committed by members of the Fourth Battalion and the indictee,” Karadeglic said.

Veselko and Ivo Raguz are charged with having participated in the examination and beating of a few detained Bosniaks in “Dretelj” at the beginning of August 1993. The indictment alleges that Ivo Raguz was member of “Knez Domagoj” Fourth Brigade. 

According to Karadeglic, witnesses’ statements imply that Veselko Raguz did not abuse them. 

“The witnesses deny each other’s statements in regard to this issue,” he said. 

Defence attorney Marko Raguz said that the charges related to the examination and beating of detainees in “Dretelj” were fabricated and that there was a conspiracy against Ivo Raguz. 

“The Defence of the second indictee denied all witnesses’ statements,” he said, while indictee Ivo Raguz said that “the whole indictment is a result of figments”.