Verdict against Ermin Curtic Due on Thursday
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The Chamber of the Sarajevo Cantonal Court is due to pronounce its verdict on Thursday, November 7.
Presenting his closing statement, Prosecutor Sead Krestalica said that the crimes in Stupni Do village were committed by members of HVO, so-called “Maturice”, and that indictee Curtic participated in that attack.
“The indictee knew about the attack against the civilian population in Vares Majdan and Stupni Do villages. All pieces of evidence and the fact that he was member, or actually a guide with ‘Maturice’ Unit, point to that,” Krestalica said.
The Defence said that Curtic was a member of HVO, but he was not a member of the “Maturice” Unit.
“The Prosecution has not proved its allegation that the indictee was a guide, who led the Unit members to Stupni Do. This is where the crime happened, but the indictee did not participate in it, because he was on another frontline. This was confirmed by numerous witnesses,” Defence attorney Nedim Dobojlic said.
The Prosecutor mentioned that witnesses Muamera Mahmutovic and Besim Paralangaj said that the indictee confiscated golden jewelry and money from them.
“All those things happened during the war, when the indictee was armed and dressed in military uniform. They happened during the attack on Stupni Do,” the Prosecutor said.
The Defence said that the testimonies by those witnesses were not reliable.
The Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecution charges Curtic, former guide to one part of “Maturice” Unit with the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, with having hit and robbed civilians following an attack on Stupni Do village on October 23, 1993.
On October 31, 2011 the Sarajevo Cantonal Court sentenced Curtic to five and a half years in prison. In May 2012 the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, FBiH, revoked the verdict and ordered a new trial. The retrial began in December last year.
Prior to presenting his closing statement, the Prosecutor read the indictment, which was edited as per a proposal by the Supreme Court of FBiH. The edited indictment specifies the time and place where certain events happened.
The Defence said that, the editing of the indictment has not changed the status of the disposition of the indictment, as indicated by the Supreme Court.
