Local Justice Sabancevic: Verdict Due April 23
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Presenting his closing statement, Jasmin Mesic, Prosecutor with the Una-Sana Cantonal Prosecution, said that he considered that he had managed to prove all of the allegations contained in the indictment. As Mesic said, statements given by eyewitnesses undoubtedly proved that Sabancevic participated in the capture and mistreatment of members of the Fifth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and murder of Nihad Dizdaric.
The Una-Sana Cantonal Prosecution asked the Trial Chamber to pronounce Sabancevic, former member of the Jastrebovi (hawks) Reconnaissance Unit with the National Defence of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region, guilty and sentence him according to the law.
In its closing statement the Defence of the indictee reminded the Court of the fact that the process against Sabancevic had lasted for nearly 17 years.
Alaga Bajramovic, Defence attorney of the indictee, said that Prosecution witnesses statements were unauthentic and inconsistent.
Bajramovic said that the Defence did not deny Sabancevics participation in the capture of members of the Fifth Corps in 1995, but he said that the indictee did not kill Nihad Dizdaric.
The Una-Sana Cantonal Prosecution charges Sabancevic with having participated in the capture and mistreatment of six members of the Fifth Corps of ARBiH in the Johovica area in July 1995 and the murder of Nihad Dizdaric by an automatic gun.
In 1997 the Cantonal Court in Bihac sentenced Sabancevic to 14 years in prison, after having pronounced him guilty of crimes against prisoners of war in Velika Kladusa municipality. However, the verdict was revoked and a retrial ordered.
At the end of the trial indictee Almir Sabancevic addressed the Trial Chamber and expressed regrets due to the event that happened in 1995, when he was less than 20 years old.
I am sorry because prisoner Dizdaric was killed. I did participate in the capture of the members of the Fifth Corps. Just like I have said many times, I did slap the prisoners a few times, but I did not kill Nihad Dizdaric. Everybody should be tried for what they did. I just want the truth and this process to end, because I am innocent, Sabancevic said.
Dz.D.
