Macic: Konjic Crimes Verdict Due Mid-November

Eso Macic’s lawyer, Kadrija Kolic, asked for the acquittal of his client arguing that the prosecution failed to prove that he was guilty of crimes against Bosnian Serb civilians committed in 1992 and 1993 in the Celebici and Musala camps in Konjic.

“The victims and witnesses said that Macic was conscientious as a guard, which clearly shows that he could not have had any awareness that he was commiting a criminal act.”

“The prosecution witnesses clearly noted that even when he was beating them, Macic was doing it gentler than others, while having a monster such as Hazim Delic behind him, who was giving out all the orders,” said Kolic.

The prosecution charges Macic with beating Scepo Gotovac to death in mid-June 1992, together with other guards at the Celebici camp.

Macic is also charged with killing Milorad Kuljanin in June 1992 in the same camp, as well as beating several other prisoners, and that he treated civilians and prisoners of war inhumanely in the Musala sports hall in Konjic in 1993.

The defence lawyer emphasised that in the verdict passed in 2003 – which convicted Zdravko Mucic, Hazim Delic and Esad Landzo for the crimes committed in the Celebici camp – the Hague Tribunal concluded that Eso Macic was not guilty of the murder of Scepo Gotovac, as well as that the death of Milorad Kuljanin was an “accident”.

“One of the basic rules of law is that it is impossible to prosecute someone twice for the same offence, which is why we ask that these counts of the indictment be dismissed,” said Kolic.

Addressing the counts of the indictment which charge Macic with abusing prisoners in the Celebici camp, Kolic pointed out that there is a “significant discrepancy” between what the witnesses for the prosecution said and the claims in the indictment.

“The witnesses said that Macic hit them once or twice, while the indictment specifies that beatings lasted over half an hour. It is obvious that two blows can last several seconds, and in no way half an hour,” said Kolic.

In its closing arguments on October 15, the prosecution asked from the Trial Chamber to find Eso Macic, former member of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, guilty of crimes committed in the Celebici and Musala camps and sentence him “according to the law”.