New Marijan Brnjic Trial Has Begun

The state prosecution has charged Brnjic, a former member of the 102nd Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council, with forcibly bringing a Serb woman to a house near bus station in Posavska Mahala on the night of June 4 or 5, 1992, and then raping her.

According to the charges, at the time unprotected women and children in Novi Grad were taken to other locations to be raped, while their husbands were detained in a school building in Odzak.

Prosecutor Miroslav Janjic said the injured party in the case, would appear as the first witness. He said she could testify via video link. Two more witnesses will also testify for the state prosecution.

Brnjic’s defense attorney, Rifat Konjic, said he would prove that the defendant was innocent. He also said he would hear and cross-examine all three prosecution witnesses and would propose the defense’s evidence afterwards.

The trial will continue on February 10.

Under a first instance verdict handed down in a separate case by the state court late last year, Brnjic was sentenced to six years in prison for rape in Odzak.