Retrial of Goran Saric

The retrial of Goran Saric, who is charged with crimes in Nahorevo neighbourhood, Sarajevo, begins with the hearing of State Prosecution witnesses’ testimonies.

Azra Miletic, Chairwoman of the Appellate Camber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH, said that the Chamber would hear 15 witnesses’ testimonies during the retrial, while the Prosecution and Defence previously said that they did not have any new pieces of evidence.
 
Prosecutor Marijana Cobovic did not present her introductory statement, but she briefly said that the Prosecution would prove that the indictee committed the crime charged upon him, while the Defence said that it stuck to its introductory statement presented before.
 
On June 30 the Appellate Chamber of the Court of BiH quashed the first instance verdict, under which Goran Saric was sentenced to 14 years in prison for crimes in Nahorevo neighbourhood, Sarajevo.
 
In August last year Saric, former Chief of the Public Safety Station in the Serbian municipality of Centar, was found guilty of having supervised and participated in separating three groups of men in Jagomir psychiatric hospital, where they were held as of June 19, 1992.
 
The first instance Chamber determined that a group of prisoners was sent to the territory controlled by the Army of BiH, ABiH, 29 were taken to detention camps in Vogosca, while the third group was left there. Their bodies were found at Skakavac.
 
At the beginning of this trial the Camber announced that the Prosecutor informed them that she was “changing the factual description in the indictment”. Judge Miletic said that it was not necessary, because the change referred to the count covering the charges of which the indictee was acquitted and the Prosecution did not even appeal against it.
 
Miletic explained that the Trial Chamber was not considering the indictment but the first instance verdict, in this case.
 
The retrial began with hearing of testimonies by Ibro Pandzic and Nahid Kozljak.