Bosnian Serb Fighter Appeals Foca Rape Conviction
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Ex-fighter Jasko Gazdic appealed against his 17-year jailing for wartime rapes in Foca in 1992 and 1993, arguing he has “never touched” a woman, while the prosecution demanded a longer sentence.
The prosecutor asked the appeals court in Sarajevo on Monday to uphold Gazdic’s guilty sentence and lengthen his prison term while the defence argued that the first verdict was faulty and demanded a retrial.
Gazdic was found guilty in November 2011 of raping three people between April 1992 and March 1993, during a broad and systematic attack by the Bosnian Serb Army, paramilitaries and police on Bosniak civilians in Foca.
But he was acquitted of two other rapes and of holding one female in sexual slavery.
Prosecutor Behaija Krnjic said that during the trial, enough evidence was presented for Gazdic to be convicted on all counts.
“I propose that the appeals chamber accept our appeal and change the verdict. It would automatically mean the increase of the sentence to a long prison term,” said Krnjic.
But the defence lawyer, Vladimir Maric, said that the first instance verdict was full of faults and should be quashed.
“The key fact from the verdict is that the broad attack against the Bosniak population existed till 1993, which was not backed by any proof. Also, Gazdic cannot be charged with all the crimes committed in the Foca territory until August 1992, since up until that point he worked as a guard at a health centre in Brod on Drina,” said Maric.
Maric said that Gazdic was sentenced for raping of women although “he has no interest in women whatsoever”.
He also said that the court had refused to hear two key defence witnesses who had been found guilty of wartime crimes in Foca.
Gazdic himself objected to the sentence, saying that he was “an innocent man”.
He accused his previous lawyer of failing to defend him properly.
“I have never touched a woman in my life and now I am sentenced for rape. I want the truth,” Gazdic told the court.
A decision on the appeals will be made at a later date.
