Dautovic Verdict Appealed
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Defense attorney Tatjana Savic saidthe verdict was based on the “alleged identification of Dautovic by the injuredparties.” Savic said that in a previous decision, the Supreme Court requestedan explanation on this issue, but the first instance court failed to provideone.
On May 4, 2015, the cantonal court of Bihac found Dautovic guilty ofparticipating in the physical abuse of civilians who had been brought to ahealth center in Velika Kladusa from the Drmaljevo detention camp in June 1994.Dautovic was the leader of the Interventions Group for Guarding Buildings andPersons for the National Defense of the Autonomous Region of Western Bosnia.
He was also found guilty of having participated in taking 15 detainees out ofthe Drmaljevo detention camp in August 1994. One of the detainees was RasimErdic, who died from the abuse inflicted upon him.
Commenting on Erdic’s death, Savic said the first instance court had come to aconclusion that probability was sufficient for determining the nature of hisdeath.
The state prosecution requested that the court reject the appeal as unfounded.
The cantonal court of Bihac initially sentenced Dautovic to six and a halfyears in prison in 2013. The Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia andHerzegovina repealed the verdict and ordered a retrial.
The Supreme Court will render its decision at a later stage.
