Slavica Cvoro, Defence attorney of Radakovic, said that the State Prosecution’s appeal to the verdict of release passed down by the first instance Chamber “cannot be considered valid and argumented”, because it was based on opinion and thesis presented at the first instance trial.
“We consider the first instance verdict pronounced by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina correct and fair. We hope that the Appellate Chamber will confirm it. Radakovic did not participate in the persecution, robbing, separation and shooting of people at Koricanske stijene. In its appeal the Prosecution has not offered any new pieces of evidence or witnesses,” Cvoro said.
The first instance verdict pronounced by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2010 acquitted Milorad Radakovic of the charges that he participated in the planning of separation of civilians and their murder.
Under the same verdict, Zoran Babic, Milorad Skrbic, Dusan Jankovic and Zeljko Stojnic, former members of the Public Safety Station in Prijedor , were pronounced guilty of participating in a joint criminal enterprise in Prijedor municipality with the aim of persecuting, robbing and killing non-Serb civilians during the course of 1992.
The State Court sentenced both Babic and Skrbic to 22 years in prison and Stojnic to 15 years for the murder of more than 150 male civilians at Koricanske stijene on August 21, 1992. The Court pronounced Dusan Jankovic, former Commander with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor , guilty of ordering the murders on Mount Vlasic, sentencing him to 27 years’ imprisonment.
Presenting her appeal to the first instance verdict, State Prosecutor Slavica Terzic said that the sentences against the Koricanske stijene crime indictees, which were pronounced by the State Court, were “too mild”, adding that Milorad Radakovic, who was acquitted of the charges by the first instance Chamber, committed the crime charged upon him by the Prosecution.
The Defence of Zeljko Stojnic too filed a first instance verdict appeal with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it did it in writing, without presenting the details in the courtroom.
The Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will render a decision concerning the appeals filed by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Defence teams at a later stage.
