Retrial of Veselko and Ivo Raguz Begins

Prosecutor Remzija Smailagic read a part of the indictment before the trial chamber.

Veselko Raguz, the former commander of the Fourth Knez Domagoj Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, and Ivo Raguz, a member of that unit, have been charged with participating in the detention, torture, and assault of a group of civilians at the Dretelj detention camp in 1993. According to the charges, Veselko Raguz failed to prevent and sanction the actions undertaken by his subordinates.

The defense attorneys of both defendants objected to the portion of the indictment which was read aloud in the courtroom, and claimed that the indictment hadn’t been consolidated as ordered by the appellate chamber after the partial quashing of the verdict.

“I would like to comment on the part [of the indictment] referring to detention. The prosecution has not specified the act. I request that it be specified, so we can see what my client is being tried for,” said Branko Karadeglic, Veselko Raguz’s defense attorney.

The chamber said the prosecutor should edit that portion of the indictment by the next hearing.

Under a first instance verdict handed down in January 2014, Veselko and Ivo Raguz were acquitted of charges that they had arrested and detained Bosniak men from the Stolac area, forcibly resettled women and children, and physically abused and tortured civilians in Dretelj in July and August 1993.

In November 2014, the appellate chamber rescinded the verdict in the case of Ivo Raguz and partially in the case of Veselko Raguz. The chamber ordered a new trial.

Due to the fact that the indictments and verdicts are not available, it is not clear which criminal acts Veselko Raguz has been accused of – this information was not provided at today’s hearing.

In his introductory statement, prosecutor Remzija Smailagic said he would prove the charges in the indictment and would demonstrate that both Veselko and Ivo Raguz were aware of the consequences of their actions.

“The detained civilians were afraid for their lives 24 hours a day. They were hungry and thirsty, while also being abused…All of the witnesses agree that the defendants and others abused them,” Smailagic said.

Branko Karadeglic, Veselko Raguz’s defense attorney, said that his client was not guilty and that it would present new pieces of evidence during the retrial.

Ivo Raguz’s defense attorney said the charges against his client were fabricated.

Appellate chamber chairman Redzib Begic said statements given by a certain number of witnesses during the first instance trial would be heard at the beginning of the presentation of evidence. Once the court has heard those statements, it will decide on the further course of the retrial.