Bosnian Defendant Pleads Not Guilty to Inciting Terrorism
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Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo: Court BiH
“Honourable court, I plead not guilty,” Toni Basic told the Bosnian state court in Sarajevo as he denied terrorism charges.
Basic was charged in December last year with committing acts of terrorism by sending anti-Semitic threats, as well as statements and threats calling for attacks on racial and ethnic grounds, via the internet and on social media on several occasions in 2020.
The indictment also accuses Basic of sending threats to members of the LGBT rights movement and called for terrorist attacks on buildings in New York.
“The defendant has been accused of having used public information channels to instigate others to commit the criminal offence of terrorism, thus committing the criminal offence of public incitement to terrorist acts in connection with the criminal offence of terrorism from the criminal code of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the prosecution said when announcing the charges.
Defence lawyer Vlado Adamovic asked the court to appoint a state-funded lawyer because Basic is a student and financially dependent on his parents.
“The parents are paying for [the lawyer] and it’s the time of the coronavirus,” Adamovic said.
Judge Enida Hadziomerovic said the court would make a decision once Adamovic has provided the necessary documents.
