Dautovic’s Retrial Begins January 13

The retrial will be held, because the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, FBiH, quashed a verdict, under which Dautovic was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.

Dautovic is charged with having participated in the physical abuse of civilians in the Ambulance Station in Velika Kladusa in June 1994 after having brought those persons, acting in collaboration with other members of the National Defence of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region, ND WBAR, from Drmaljevo detention camp.

Also, he is charged with having participated in the taking away of 15 detainees from Drmaljevo detention camp in August. Rasim Erdic, who was among those detainees, died due to the consequences of the abuse.

According to the charges, Dautovic was leader of the Interventions Group for Guarding Buildings and Persons with the Ministry of Defence and military police of the ND of WBAR.

At the hearing today Tatjana Savic, Defence attorney of indictee Dautovic, proposed that a statement given by Defence witness Fatima Kostic be reproduced and that two Prosecution witnesses Zlatko Sabanagic and Alija Feriz be invited to testify again.

Just like in the previous trial, she proposed that witness Sulejman Latic be examined, that a partial reconstruction of events be conducted and that pathologist Zdenko Cirhlaz from Tuzla conduct an expert examination. These Defence’s proposals were rejected at the first instance trial.

The Prosecution proposed that all pieces of evidence, which were presented before, be admitted. It did not object to the Defence’s proposals.

The Court accepted the proposal to invite the expert pathologist. As far as the partial reconstruction of the crime is concerned, it will render a decision at a later stage. The Court ordered the Defence to submit all pieces of information related to the place of residence of witness Sulejman Latic, as well as the date of his travel from the USA to BiH, so he could be informed and invited as a witness in a timely manner.