Srebrenica Crimes Defendant Dies Before Final Verdict

The Bosnian state court announced on Friday that it has discontinued the trial of Milan Bogdanovic, whose acquittal on charges of capturing Bosniak men after the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995, and enabling others to abuse and kill them, was being appealed by the prosecution, because the defendant has died.

The first-instance verdict handed down in March this year acquitted Bogdanovic, who was the commander of the Sixth Company of special police units at the police’s Public Security Station in Zvornik at the time of the alleged crime.

The court found that none of the witnesses at the trial had seen or heard anything to prove that he had any responsibility for the murders, forced resettlements, unlawful detentions and forced disappearances of Bosniak men from Srebrenica.

It also found that the prosecution had not proved that members of that Sixth Company had taken part in capturing and escorting the Bosniak prisoners and enabling others to kill them.

Bogdanovic was also acquitted on a second count, with the court finding him not guilty of responsibility for the detention and disappearances of Bosniak civilians in his capacity as commander of the police station in Skelani.

The prosecution launched an appeal which has now been discontinued because of the defendant’s death.