Andrun verdict to be announced on December 14

Presentation of closing arguments of both the prosecution and defence have marked the final phase of evidence in the trial of Nikola Andrun case, who is charged with crimes committed in Gabela detention camp in Herzegovina.

The trial chamber is scheduled to announce the verdict on Thursday, December 14.

Andrun is charged that in the second half of 1993 he, as deputy warden of Gabela detention camp during the time of disputes between Croat defence council (HVO) and Army of BiH, committed crimes against
humanity against Bosniak camp inmates.

Andrun is charged with murders, illegal detention and tortures that took place in the camp located near Capljina, as well as with the transfer of inmates from Gabela to Silos camp in order to prevent
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from registering them.

In its closing argument, Prosecutor Vesna Tancica said that Andrun’s responsibility for the crimes had been proven during the evidence procedure.

The prosecution asked the trial chamber to find Andrun guilty and sentence him to a long prison sentence “adequate for acts with which he is charged in the indictment”.

According to the Criminal Code of BiH, the minimum sentence for crimes against humanity is ten years.

But the defence asked that the verdict be in accordance with the Criminal Code of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), which was in effect at the time when the crime was committed.  This
law provides a smaller minimum sentence of five years.

In his closing statement, defence attorney Hamdo Kulenovic said that none of the prosecution witnesses could say with certainty that Andrun was deputy warden of Gabela detention camp, or that he killed anyone or was accomplice in the murder of anyone.

“Witnesses’ statements were subjective and cannot be accepted as relevant,” Kulenovic said.

The defence asked that the charge of torture be excluded from the indictment and said “according to the definition of this term the events in Gabela camp did not reach level of torture because all witnesses live normal lives today”.

Defence attorneys also asked the trial chamber to acquit the indictee.

Andrun was arrested in Capljina at the end of November of last year, since when he has been held in custody.

The indictment was confirmed at the end of April this year and on May 9 Andrun pleaded not guilty on all counts.