Prosecution Calls for Longer Sentence in Macic Case

Under the first instance verdict, Macic, a former guard at the Musala detention camp, was found guilty of murdering four elderly Serb women in the village of Blaca near Konjic. He was also found guilty of participating in the mistreatment, assault, mental abuse and sexual abuse of Serb and Croat detainees in 1993.

Prosecutor Sanja Jukic said the first instance chamber of the state court correctly assessed the evidence in the case and found Macic guilty. However, Jukic said the court should have handed down a longer prison sentence considering the gravity of his crimes.

“Four old women were killed. Their bodies have not been found yet. Ibro Macic is the only one who know where their bones are, but he still has not expressed willingness to help the families find peace,” Jukic said.

In its closing statement, Macic’s defense denied that the defendant knew where the remains of the old women were.

Fadil Abaz, Macic’s defense attorney, said the court shouldn’t have trusted the state prosecution witnesses.

“The same chamber of this same court acquitted Osman Brkan of charges for the same count, because the chamber believed that the witness who accused him was irrelevant. And then the same witness is considered the most relevant one in finding Macic guilty,” Abaz said.

Abaz said a burst of gunfire was fired at the elderly women in Blaca. He said Macic couldn’t have fired at them in such a way with his rifle, a tandzara (a bolt-action rifle).

“With regards to accusations related to Zdenko Ljoljo, we object to the fact that we heard about him from indirect witnesses and not from him directly,” Abaz said.

The state prosecution said it wasn’t necessary to examine Ljoljo.

Under the first instance verdict, Macic was also found guilty of having beaten Zdenko Ljoljo in Musala.

The state court will render a decision concerning the appeals at a later stage.