Bosnian Serb Fighter Jailed for Visegrad Crimes

The Bosnian state court found Rackovic guilty on Monday of illegally arresting civilians from the villages of Osjonica, Kabernik and Holijaci near Visegrad. The prisoners were then detained in the Orahovci school, where the defendant beat some of them.

He was also found guilty of arresting six civilians from Kabernik on June 12, 1992.

“Civilians Omer, Alija and Besima Cancar, Esed Mameledzija, Hamed and Husein Tvrtkovic were driven towards [the village of] Donja Lijeska and were never seen again,” said presiding judge Zoran Bozic.

The court further concluded that Rackovic raped a protected witness in the trial codenamed RV-5, who was driven with other women from Bikavac to the Crnca settlement on July 5, 1992.

“Rackovic ordered her to sit in the front, which she did, and forced her to have sexual intercourse. He threatened her that she would bear a Serb child and raped her,” said the judge.

He was also convicted of questioning and abusing a man called Adem Berberovic in Gornja Lijeska in August 1992.

“Rackovic hit him on the head and in the stomach… placed a knife with a blade 30 centimetres long under his chin, told him he would kill him and swore. Berberovic fainted and still feels the consequences”, said judge Bozic.

According to the verdict, Rackovic committed the crimes as a member of the Serb Territorial Defence and later member of the Bosnian Serb Army’s Visegrad Brigade.

Judge Bozic said the court did not accept the defence’s claims that Rackovic was injured on the frontline in Zaglavak at the time the crimes were committed, and that he could not drive.

“The chamber did not find merit in the evidence regarding the defendant’s injuries, even though they are mentioned in his health certificate and his injuries were mentioned by witnesses,” the judge said.

Rackovic was cleared of two counts in the indictment – burning Bosniak houses in Kabernik and arresting two other Bosniak civilians.

The verdict can be appealed.