Bosnian Croat Fighter Jailed for Ten Years

Tolic was found guilty on five counts for inhumane treatment and beating Serb civilians detained in the schools in towns of Bosanski Brod and Odzak from May until November 1992. Rade Tomanovic and Mirko Pajic died as a result of the beatings.

The trial chamber established that the defendant and other members of the 102nd Odzak brigade of the Croatian Defence Council participated in taking Serb women away from the construction depot in Bosanski Brod, one of whom was raped, as well as taking prisoners for forced labor, where many of them lost their lives.

“Differences in the statements of a number of witnesses are expected and possible given the flow of time and the condition of the victims. Such statements, however, do not bring into question the credibility of most of the witnesses,” said presiding judge Stanisa Gluhajic.

Tolic was acquitted of seven counts for torture, beating, killing, looting and sexual abuse.

The trial chamber could not find beyond a reasonable doubt that Tolic was guilty for the disappearance of the prisoner Petar Maricic, as well as for the deaths of prisoners Svetozar Dervenic, alias Ceto, Rade Deronjic, alias Sila [Force], and Simo Cvetkovic in Odzak and Novi Grad.

The chamber also could not establish that Tolic participated in the sexual abuse of a mentally ill female prisoner.

“The trial chamber believes that the sentence of ten years in prison is proportional to the gravity of the crime,” Gluhajic said.

The chamber considered that he had no prior convictions, that he is a family man and a father of two, and that he helped some of the detainees as mitigating circumstances.

He was found guilty according to the Criminal code of former Yugoslavia.

Tolic was arrested in July 2013 and his custody has been extended.

The verdict can be appealed.