Verdict for Torture and Murder of Bosnian Army Nurse Expected on Thursday

In its closing arguments, the cantonal prosecution said they had proven that the two defendants had taken part in the abuse of Bosnian Army military nurse Karmen Kremencic, and asked that the court hand down a just sentence.

The defense teams asked for a not guilty verdict. He said that Ranka Tomic, Radmila Drobac, and Veselko Djukic were responsible for the abuse and murder of Kremencic.

Kuburic and Banjac are accused of the torture and inhumane treatment of Kremencic, who was a nurse from the Kljucko-Sanska Unit of the Bosnian Army. She was was captured by Bosnian Serb forces in the Radic area of Bosanska Krupa in the summer of 1992. She was wounded at the time of her capture.

Upon her capture, Kamencic was handed over to members of the Women’s Front of the Bosnian Serb Army’s Petrovac Brigade. Kuburic and Banjac were members of the Women’s Front. The commander of the Women’s Front could not be located for prosecution.

“They brought her to a valley near the school in Radic, where a large number of the village residents were gathered. Ranka Tomic ordered her [Kamencic] to strip naked and crawl on the ground, which caused multiple lacerations,” the indictment said.

According to the indictment, Tomic then ordered Kamencic to dig her own grave while she was sexually abused with branches between her legs.

“At one point Kuburic and Banjac approached the victim and hit her with sticks from a hazel tree until they broke, and then Banjac cut off her hair with a knife and made a cross on her head, and later drew a cross with a knife on her back, which caused serious bleeding. Continuing the torture, Kuburic took a knife and cut the lower part of the victim’s ear,” the indictment reads.

A juvenile, Veseljko Djukic, who was also with the two female fighters, allegedly ordered the nurse to lie on her back in the grave and he killed her with multiple shots to the head.

Before closing arguments, a defense witness testified and Bora Kuburic gave a statement in her own defence.

She admitted to cutting Kamencic’s ear but said she was ordered to do so by her captain, Rada Tomic.

“Rada was a dangerous woman and we were all afraid of her. When the prisoner was handed to us, we were ordered to beat her. There were many of us. I hit her with a stick and cut her ear. As soon as I could I ran to the school. I later heard that Djukic killed her,” said Kuburic.

Asked if Banjac was there, Kuburic said she was, but couldn’t remember if she hit Kamencic.

Defense witness Svetko Kecman said he saw Kamencic being abused, and that the torture was led by Ranka Tomic, who was known as Captain Rada.

“I was in a truck and my colleague was delivering food and I saw people. They were hitting a prisoner. I knew Radmila well and I didn’t see her,” Kecman said.

Witnesses Rajko Obradovic and Zeljko Dragisic said they did not see the crime but heard that the defendants didn’t take part in Kremencic’s abuse and murder.