Physical Similarities Between Defendant and Uncle Discussed at Pravdic Retrial
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The defense claims that Stipe Pravdic is the real perpetrator of the crimes described in the indictment, which charges Franjo Pravdic with the murder of two captives in Zepce.
Ana Pravdic, Franjo Pravdic’s sister-in-law, testified at today’s hearing. She submitted a photo taken during her husband’s funeral on August 11, 1993. The photo depicts the defendant with other family members.
She said Franjo Pravdic always had dark shoulder-length hair, but he had a shorter haircut at the time. She said that in her opinion, they didn’t look alike.
The defense asked her whether it would have been possible for someone to confuse the two men if they were in uniform. She said this was possible, because their body types were similar and “everyone in uniform looks alike anyway.”
The prosecution objected, and said the defense was leading the witness. The prosecution also said the faces in the photo weren’t clear.
As per a proposal by the defense, Franjo Pravdic was examined once more. Pravdic explained an earlier statement he had given, in which he said he had a short haircut. Pravdic explained that he meant his haircut was shorter than usual at the time.
The Pravdic case was sent to a retrial after the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina repealed the first instance verdict, which sentenced him to 11 years in prison.
Under the first instance verdict, Pravdic, a former member of the Croatian Defense Council, was found guilty of having killed two captives to avenge his brother’s murder on August 5, 1993.
The retrial began on October 22, 2015. Both parties agreed that witness testimonies would be read, that the photo would be viewed and that Ana Pravdic would be examined.
The presentation of closing statements has been scheduled for November 9.
