The Appellate Court of Brcko District confirms a first instance verdict, under which Ivan Stjepanovic, former member of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, was acquitted of participating in war crimes in the Brcko area.
Presenting his closing statement at the trial of Ivan Stjepanovic before the Basic Court of Brcko District, Defence attorney Ohro Music calls on the Trial Chamber to pronounce a verdict of release.
The Presentation of evidence against Ivan Stjepanovic, who is charged with crimes against the civilian population in Brcko municipality, has been completed today with the presentation of the Prosecutions material evidence before the Basic Court in Brcko.
Testifying for the Prosecution of Brcko District, two witnesses say that they did not see indictee Ivan Stjepanovic participating in an attack on hamlets near Bosanska Bijela village, Brcko municipality in June 1992.
Due to the illness of a Brcko District Prosecution witness, his examination at the trial of Ivan Stjepanovic, who is charged with crimes committed in Bijela, Cerik and Bukvik, near Brcko, has been postponed.
The trial of Ivan Stjepanovic, held before the Brcko District Basic Court, has been postponed until the end of March 2011 due to the illness of the Defence attorney.
Three Brcko District Prosecution witnesses say that they did not see indictee Ivan Stjepanovic during the course of the deadly attacks in Bosanska Bijela and Cerik in June and August 1992.