Bosnian Croat Fighter Josip Tolic Requests Not Guilty Verdict
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“The evidence of the Bosnian [state] prosecution contradicts the charges. Tolic was not in the Odzak school in May 1992. Actually, his first day in the school was May 28, 1992 ,” said Rifat Konjic, Tolic’s lawyer.
Konjic said that the prison log shows that the first list of prisoners in the Odzak school was made the day Tolic took up his position as guard. Konjic added that one of the first things he did as a guard was take prisoners to the doctor.
“It is noteworthy that 19 out of 28 witnesses of the Bosnian [state] prosecution mentioned the name of Tolic only at the trial, but did not do so during the investigation phase,” said Konjic.
In reference to individual charges, Konjic commented on claims that said Tolic took a prisoner named Petar Maricic out of the school building, after which Maricic was never seen again. Konjic said that these claims were untrue.
According to Konjic, the evidence shows that Maricic died on May 12, 1992, before Tolic became a guard at the Odzak school.
“When we talk about [prisoner] Rade Tomanovic’s death, I will say that the indictment against [guard] Resad Mujkic was confirmed recently and according to that document, he is the perpetrator of this crime,” said Konjic.
Konjic also said his client was not guilty of killing [prisoner] Svetozar Deronjic in the Strolit facility.
“The evidence shows that Tolic was never in Strolit,” said Konjic.
Konjic also denied Tolic’s sexual abuse charges.
“Someone calls it love, someone calls it rape,” said Konjic.
He also said that the prosecution did not prove that Tolic stole from prisoners or forced them to do manual labour.
Tolic then addressed the judges, saying he was sorry for all of the victims.
“I will be frank, I killed no one and I raped no one. I only tried to help,” Tolic said.
Tolic, a former member of the 102nd Odzak Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, is charged with having participated in the abuse of Serb prisoners in the regions of Odzak and Bosanski Brod in northern Bosnia from May to October 1992.
In its closing statement on January 30, the state prosecution requested that Tolic be found guilty and sentenced to a long term sentence. Tolic’s trial started in November 2013.
