Verdict against the Raguz’s Quashed

“The part of the State Court’s verdict referring to indictee Ivo Raguz has been quashed completely and the part referring to indictee Veselko Raguz partially. Holding of a retrial before the Chamber of the Appellate Section has been ordered in the latter part,” the State Court announced.

Under the first instance verdict pronounced in January this year, the Raguz’s were acquitted of charges for the arrests and detention of Bosniak men from the Stolac area, resettlement of Bosniak women and children as well as the physical abuse and torture of civilians in Dretelj, from the beginning of July to the end of August 1993.

Veselko Raguz was on trial as former Commander of the Fourth “Knez Domagoj” Brigade with the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, and Ivo Raguz as member of that unit.

The Prosecution of BiH appealed this verdict, requesting the Court to quash the verdict and order a retrial before the Appellate Chamber. At the same time the Defence teams requested that the verdict of release be confirmed.

In its announcement related to quashing of the verdict the Court of BiH said that the part of the verdict referring to Veselko Raguz was confirmed, but, due to non-availability of indictments and verdicts, it is not clear what the charges of which he has been acquitted are.

The trial of the Raguz’s began in December 2011.