Apologies and Regrets for Beating

After the indictee had retold the events charged upon him under the indictment, the Chamber accepted his guilt admission statement. After that the parties presented their closing statements.

During a hearing at which the guilt admission statement was considered, indictee Drago Vukadinovic, also known as Dragic, from Busovaca, admitted guilt again, responding to a question by Trial Chamber Chairwoman Lazarela Poric. After that he retold the events charged upon him under the indictment.

Vukadinovic said that, during the war he was member of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, or actually the Security Service, SIS.

“On one occasion my superior officer ordered me to search injured party S.N.’s house, because there was a suspicion that she had a hidden radio communication device, which was used for giving directions to artillery units. We searched the site, but there was no physical contact,” the indictee said.

As he said, on another occasion they accommodated Croat families in houses due to a large number of refugees.

“We were supposed to accommodate a family from Cukle village, Travnik municipality, in the injured party’s house. She offered resistance. I beat her and threw her out of the house, but I did not take her money as alleged under the indictment. Several soldiers were present, but I feel responsible. I was young, amenable and under great stress due to the death of my brother, who has still not been found,” said Vukadinovic.

He expressed an apology to the injured party, who did not attend the hearing today.

Cantonal Prosecutor Ahmed Mesic proposed that the Court considered mitigating circumstances and pronounce a sentence in accordance with the law.

Defence attorney Branka Praljak pointed out that the indictee admitted guilt and that he lost his brother in that period, adding that the Prosecution was not against a minimal sentence proposed during the unsuccessful guilt admission negotiations.

“The Defence considers that the conditions for reducing the sentence to the legal minimum of one year in prison have been met,” Defence attorney Praljak said, mentioning similar cases handled by the Cantonal Courts in Mostar and Zenica as examples.

The Court is due to pronounce the verdict on January 30.