Bosniak Soldier Jailed for Mutilating Prisoner’s Ear

The state court on Thursday found Salcin, a former member of the Zulfikar unit of the Bosnian army, guilty of cutting off part of the ear of Dragan Vukovic, a Serb prisoner of war held on Mount Igman.

“Dragan Vukovic said in his statements that Salcin ordered him to come down from a transporter and then cut off part of his ear. He recognized Salcin in photographs and confirmed that the defendant cut off part of his ear,” said presiding judge Jasmina Kosovic.

She said that other Bosnian prosecution witnesses also confirmed this incident took place in front of a hotel on Mount Igman.

The testimony of witness Miladin Borovic who said that he knows Salcin and that he was the one who cut off Vukovic’s ear, was key to the verdict, according to the judge.

But Salcin was acquitted of charges that in July 1993 he forced Serb prisoners to sing Chetnik nationalist songs on Mount Igman, and then threw a chair at one of them and abused the others.

“The witness testimonies do not prove that Salcin committed this crim. The chamber could not conclude without a reasonable doubt he was the one who was guilty, so acquitted him of the charges,” said Kosovic.

She added that the court did not find any aggravating circumstances, but accepted as mitigating the fact that Salcin wasn’t previously convicted of any crimes, and that his health is poor.

This verdict can be appealed.