Verdict against Pravdic on December 19
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The Prosecution considers that it has been proved that Pravdic killed captives Edib and Edin Fejzic in August 1993.
Prosecutor Branislav Tomas reminded the Court that Prosecution eyewitnesses of that event and that they identified the indictee as the perpetrator on photographs later on.
He said that the Defence examined witnesses who tried to provide the indictee with an alibi and transfer the responsibility to indictee’s uncle Stipo Pravdic, who was no longer alive.
“One of the Defence witnesses, whose hearing is damaged, says that he heard someone crying from a distance of 60 metres, while, at the same time, he did not hear burst fear in his vicinity. This is completely unconvincing. He said that indictee’s uncle Stipo Pravdic allegedly admitted to him that he killed the captives in revenge for his nephew, who had been killed before,” the Prosecutor said.
Presenting his closing statement, Defence attorney Vlado Adamovic said that the witnesses changed their statements during the investigation and the trial, because they were disoriented by a wrongly conducted investigation and unlawful identification process during the investigation.
“The fact that there is a photograph made three days after the event is a real blessing for Franjo. It clearly shows that his appearance does not match the appearance of the perpetrator, whom the Prosecution witnesses described unanimously. The witnesses said that he was of mid-sized man, brown or blonde hair, short haircut. As one can see on the photograph, Franjo Pravdic had rather long, black hair at that time, while his uncle, whom he resembled, had short blonde hair,” Adamovic said.
He considers that the Prosecution witnesses demonstrated “an impressive humanity”, because, responding to a specific question in the courtroom, they said that they were not sure that Franjo Pravdic was the perpetrator.
“Had the police done its job during the investigation, it would have come to the same conclusion,” Adamovic said, requested a verdict of release due to a lack of evidence.
At the end of the hearing the indictee addressed the Court, saying that he did not do it.
