Skrobic: Verdict on 22 October

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will state the verdict for Marko Skobic, accused for crimes against the civilian population in the Novo Selo area, Kotor Varos municipality on Wednesday 22 October.

The State Prosecution holds responsible Marko Skrobic that he as a member of the Croat Defence Council (HVO) in Kotor Varos on 31 July 1992 in Novo Mjesto together with other four soldiers ordered the Glamocak family members to leave their houses and take them towards the village of Ravne and during this trip he killed Stojko Glamocak.

The Prosecution demanded that Skrobic is tried and sentenced in accordance to the law. The Defence asks that their client be set free because he ”did not commit the act for which they hold him responsible”.

“The Prosecution through presentation of the evidence as well as through Defence and Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina evidence, proved how Skrobic is responsible for the conduct of the act”, stated Prosecutor Milorad Barasanin.

In the analysis of the witnesses’ testimonies, the prosecutor stated that Stana and Boro Glamocak ”clearly and without ambiguity stated how the accused killed their father and father in law.”

”Honourable Court, do not allow that Boro Glamocak’s language error mislead you in your decision making. He was not unsure when he called the accused Marko Orin and not Marko Skrobic. Ora is his mother”, the prosecutor stated.

”During the main procedure, the Court decided to summon Stana and Boro Glamocak to testify again due to ”unclear elements” in the statement.

”I am not the person that killed Stojko Glamocak. I am sorry that his family gained the impression that I was the one who killed him. I am sorry for all that happened in that place and I hope that the persons that committed the act will be found”, accused Skrobic addressed to the Court.

During the final statement, the Defence analysed statements of the witnesses and said how there are many uncertainties that exist and some of them are like ”was it four or five soldiers on the door of Glamocak’s family house”, ”were they camouflaged or not”, ”how does the person who introduced himself as a neighbour Marko look like” and so on.

”The fact that Stana Glamocak recognised in the courtroom Marko Skrobic cannot be qualified as relevant because in this courtroom since there is only one accused. The question arises how did she recognise him when she has seen him only once and with poor light (it was four o’clock in the morning) and frightened because members of her family were taken away”, stated defence attorney Branka Praljak.

After Stana stated that she recognised Skrobic from before on the prosecutor’s pictures in Banja Luka, Praljak stated that mentioned pictures comes from the identity cards together with his name and was not in accordance with the law”.