Appeals against Milanovic Verdict Filed

The Federal Prosecution and Defence presented their appeals against the verdict pronounced by the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo in February this year. Under the verdict, Milanovic, former guard, was found guilty of having beaten detainee Taib Kodzaga, whom he hit with his legs and hands, in June or July 1992 and enabled unauthorised persons, who abused detainees, to enter the detention camp.  

Prosecutor Nermina Mutevelic requested the Court to sentence Milanovic to more than one year in prison.

Refik Serdarevic, Defence attorney of the indictee, appealed the first instance verdict pronounced by the Sarajevo Cantonal Court due to violations of the Criminal Code and proceedings, as well as wrongly and incompletely determined factual status. He requested the Court to acquit his client of all charges.

Serdarevic said that Milanovic did not beat Taib Kodzaga up.

“Kodzaga said that the indictee took him out and slapped him, but that cannot be characterized as beating up,” Serdarevic said, adding that nobody witnessed the event and that no visible injuries could be seen on the injured party’s body.

Indictee Milanovic requested the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to acquit him of charges, saying that “the factual status was wrongly and incompletely determined” under the first instance verdict.     

The Supreme Court will render a decision concerning the appeals at a later stage.