Macic Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison

According to the verdict, on June 13, 1992, Macic went to the village of Blaca, near Konjic, with fifteen other members of the Bosnian Army. Macic fired an undetermined number of bullets in the direction of four old women of Serb ethnicity, who were residing in the home of Milutin Kuljanin. Macic was accompanied by another person.

The following victims were killed as a result: Ana Kuljanin (born in 1908), Danica Kuljanin (born in 1910), Cvjeta Kilibarda (born in 1914) and Jelka Kilibarda (born in 1911). Their bodies have still not been found.

Presiding judge Davorin Jukic said that upon analyzing the evidence, the trial chamber decided to trust the testimony of witness Salko Macic. Salko Macic had said that Ibro Macic shot the old women with Halil Macic, now deceased.

According to the seven counts in the indictment, Macic, a former member of the military police of the Bosnian Army and former prison guard at the Musala detention camp, was found guilty of participating in the mistreatment and physical, mental, and sexual abuse of Serb and Croat prisoners detained at the Musala detention camp in 1993.

According to the verdict, Macic caused prisoner Petar Petrovic physical pain during his detention at the Musala detention camp in May 1993. This was confirmed by Petrovic and other witnesses.

Macic was also found guilty of participating in the torture of witness S-1 in May 1993. Macic beat the injured party, targeting his genitals.

According to the verdict, Macic and several other unknown persons beat and sexually abused prisoners known as A-1, S, A-2, and I.Dj. The prisoners were beaten and forced to have sexual intercourse with each other. When they were unable to perform, their genitals were set on fire.

Macic was also found guilty of mistreating other Serb and Croat detainees, including Dragutin Pazulj, protected witnesses known as S and A-2, Krunoslav Trlin, Goran Niksic and others, at the Musala detention camp.

The trial chamber considered S and S-1’s description of the defendant as unquestionable. The witnesses had correctly described Macic’s facial features and a tattoo he had on his hand.

Macic was sentenced according to the criminal code of the former Yugoslavia, which was the law in force at the time of his crimes. The criminal code of the former Yugoslavia provides more favourable sentencing for guilty parties in such cases. Testimony from a neuropsychiatrist, who said Macic’s mental capacities were reduced and his IQ low during the period covered in the indictment, were also taken into account.

“The chamber considers that a ten year sentence of imprisonment is proportional to the gravity of the crime…As far as the aggravating circumstances are concerned, we would like to mention the acts [themselves], the fact that the defendant committed them in an unscrupulous and brutal number, as well as the number of crimes committed over a long time period,” said judge Jukic.

Macic’s good conduct in the courtroom and the fact that he was young when he committed the crimes were considered mitigating circumstances. He has been exempted from paying trial costs due to his poor financial situation.

The parties have the right to file an appeal against the verdict with the appellate chamber of the Bosnian state court.