Local Justice – Bejtic: Retrial Begins
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Among other things, the indictment alleges that on December 25, 1992, Bejtic took Zoran Vucurevic behind the division line controlled by the ABiH, killed him with a revolver, poured petrol over his body and burnt his body.
The Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecution alleges that Bejtic, who was accompanied by other members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, participated in the September 1993 beating of two civilians in the 10th Mountain Brigade Command building. They allegedly then took the civilians to Kazani and killed them.
When asked by Trial Chamber Chairman Jasenko Ruzic if they would ask for a new examination of all of the witnesses who testified at the first instance trial, the Cantonal Prosecution and Defence said that they had to reach agreement on that, asking the Court to “postpone” the retrial for that reason.
“We would like to hold a status conference in order to reach an agreement with the Court about the examination of witnesses at this retrial,” Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor Aida Catovic said.
The Trial Chamber postponed the continuation of the retrial until June 27.
In July 2006, the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo sentenced Samir Bejtic to 14 years and six months in prison for the murder of civilians committed at Kazani locality in Sarajevo. The Supreme Court upheld the appeals filed by the parties and ordered a retrial, which began in January 2007.
Following the retrial, in July 2008 Bejtic was acquitted of the charges that he killed, beat and abused civilians at Kazani locality. The Cantonal Prosecution filed another appeal with the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in November 2010. The verdict was revoked and a new trial before the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo ordered.
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