Bosnian Croat Fighter Jailed for Travnik Abduction

Saric was found guilty on Tuesday of being involved in seizing civilian Aleksa Kostres on May 24, 1992 in front of his building in Travnik in central Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After the abduction, Kostres was never seen again, until his remains were found in April 2005.

According to the verdict, Saric, along with two other members of the Croatian Defence Council, Zoran Tuka and Srecko Veber – who are no longer alive – took Kostres and pointed his gun at his wife Sajma Kostres and her son.

“Even though the minimum legal punishment of five years is usual for this crime, the chamber decided to sentence Saric to four years because of mitigating circumstances,” said presiding judge Mehmedalija Huseinovic.

Huseinovic cited the defendant’s youth at the time of the incident as a mitigating circumstance.

The verdict can be appealed at the supreme court of the Bosnian Federation entity.