Koricanske stijene: Custody Release Motion

Ranko Dakic, Defence attorney of Topola, said that his client should be released due to his “deteriorated health state” and the fact that he had to provide for his four-member family.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina objected to the Defence’s motion. The Court will render a decision at a later stage.

“I would like to point out that all pieces of evidence have been presented at the other trial conducted before this Court for the same crime. Therefore, there is no way he could potentially influence witnesses or accomplices,” Dakic said.

Branko Topola, a former guard in Trnopolje detention camp near Prijedor, is charged, together with Petar Civcic and Marinko Ljepoja, former members of the First Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, with the murder of more than 200 civilians committed at Koricanske stijene on August 21, 1992.

Topola has been held in custody since September 1 this year.

Prosecutor Slavica Terzic objected to the Defence’s motion, claiming that “there are no new pieces of mitigating evidence in favour of Topola”.

“The official note made by the War Crimes Investigation Center with the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, is a new fact. It alleges that, when Damir Ivankovic reported to the Public Safety Station, the wife of Branko Topola approached him and said: ‘You had better change your statement while you still have time. Otherwise, it will be too late’,” the Prosecutor said.

The trial of six former members of the Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, who are charged with the same crime, is currently underway before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Originally, the same indictment charged Damir Ivankovic and Gordan Djuric, but, after having signed a guilt admission agreement and testified against the other indictees, they were sentenced to 14 and 8 years in prison respectively.