Pronouncement of Verdict in Markovic Case Expected on June 24

Bosiljko and Ostoja Markovic have been charged with raping an injured party known as S-4 several times on June 28, 1992, forcing her to give them oral sex after having raped her. Predrag Cicmanovic, who died in 1995, allegedly participated in the rape.

Both defendants are former members of the Kotor-Varos Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army. According to the indictment, the rape was committed in a minivan in the vicinity of a bus station in the village of Dabovci, in the municipality of Kotor-Varos.

Before the court set the date for the verdict the defense teams requested that their clients be acquitted of all charges.

During their closing statements, the defense attorneys said testimony from two key prosecution, witnesses S-4 and Mirko Bozic, were inconsistent.

Nebojsa Pantic, Bosiljko Markovic’s defense attorney, said he didn’t deny that Predrag Cicmanovic, now deceased, raped S-4. Pantic, however, denied that the defendants raped S-4.

Pantic addressed allegations that Mirko Bozic was the driver of the minivan in which the rape was committed. Pantic said S-4 previously said she was raped by all four persons, while the prosecution said in its closing statement that several persons committed the rape.

“Bozic’s statement is inconsistent, because he is the perpetrator of the rape,” Pantic said.

Pantic said two defense witnesses said the defendants were at Naric’s house on June 28, 1992 and Ostoja left, while Bosiljko stayed until the next morning.

Zoran Bubic, Ostoja Markovic’s defense attorney, said he didn’t deny that S-4 was raped, but denied that the rape was committed by the defendants, and said S-4 and Mirko Bozic’s testimony was inconsistent.

“Mirko Bozic is only consistent in saying that he didn’t see the rape being committed by Bosiljko and Ostoja Markovic. His testimony is contradictory to testimony given by protected witness S-4. The inconsistency is reflected in the fact that he took the witness to her house alone, while the protected witness said that all four of them participated in it,” Bubic said.

He said the defense considered that there was not a single piece of credible evidence upon which a verdict of conviction could be based.

“S-4 and Mirko Bozic gave contradictory statements, so I propose to the chamber to render a verdict of release,” Bubic said.