Bosnian Serb Fighter Jailed for Village Killings

The district court in Banja Luka found Jovic guilty on Monday of involvement in the killings of five Bosniak civilians, as well as the rape and abuse of civilians, in the village of Liskovac near Gradiska on August 1 and 2, 1993.

According to the verdict, Jovic was an accomplice to five other fighters who perpetrated the crimes. Two of them have already died and two remain unknown, while the other man, Sasa Lipovac, was jailed for ten years for his involvement.

Jovic was convicted of taking part in the killing of Mehmed Rizvanovic, his brother Suljo and mother Saza, and the wounding of two other people. Together with the others, he then killed Almaz Turan and his mother Emina, while Veljkic raped the daughter of Mehmed Rizvanovic, according to the verdict.

“Through an analysis of all the evidence, the court found that the prosecution proved all the counts in the indictment, and Jovic’s testimony was given in an attempt to minimise his guilt,” said presiding judge Snjezana Kudric.

The court took into account as mitigating circumstances the fact that Jovic has a child and that he was young at the time of the crime.

“As for aggravating circumstances, the trial chamber looked at the fact that he was [initially] unavailable for prosecution and that an international warrant was issued for him,” said Kudric.

Jovic was ordered to pay the cost of the trial and the time he spent in custody will count toward his sentence.

The verdict can be appealed.