Verdict for Hajrudin Trle on Friday

The federal prosecutor, Munib Halilovic, said in his closing argument that the prosecutor proved Trle’s guilt and proposed that the Court find him guilty and sentence him to an adequate punishment, while the Defence asked that the defendant be acquitted of all charges due to a lack of evidence.

“During the previous procedure, the cantonal prosecutor gave a detailed closing argument on the existence of war and act that the defendant was charged with. We are sticking with the analysis from the evidence procedure given by the cantonal prosecutor. We think enough evidence was presented that Trle was the perpetrator,” said Halilovic.

Hajrudin Trle is charged, as member of the 3rd Battalion of the Third Tuzla Brigade, with separating wounded Drago Stevanovic from a group of prisoners after the position of the Army of Republika Srpska was seized on April 21, 1993, and having killed him with a burst of fire ti the chest at point blank on Banj Hill, in the municipality of Kalesija.

Saban Mujcinovic, defendant’s lawyer, said that Hajrudin Trle did not participate in the action in which prisoners were captured.

“The defence believes that no evidence proved that Trle committed such a major crime,” said Mujcinovic.

Trle also addressed the Trial Chamber saying he was not guilty of this crime.

The Cantonal Court in Tuzla acquitted Trle in April this year, but the Supreme Court quashed the verdict in July this year, and held a trial before the second instance court.

Trle was acquitted by the Cantonal Court in May 2013 as well, but the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina abolished that sentence and asked for a retrial before the Cantonal Court.

It was agreed at the Supreme Court on October 16 this year, after the indictment was read and introductory arguments presented, that evidence presented before the first instance court would be used and it was stated that the evidence were read.