Trial against Vladimir Bekić for a war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH.

INDICTMENT (SUMMARY)

Vladimir Bekić is charged that on 4 October 1991, about 12:30 hours in the area of the village of Ilovačak, near Glina, he killed civilian Milan Kapac who, at the time of enemy attack by Serb paramilitary formations, was sitting in the backyard of this house. The defendant, in his capacity as member of SAO Krajina military formations, killed the injured person by opening fire from firearms, (and the defendant knew the injured person from before), thus he committed a criminal offence referred to in Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH - a war crime against civilians.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Rijeka County Court

Case file number:

War Crimes Council: judge Saša Cvijetić, Council President

Indictment: no. K-DO-38/2005 issued by ŽDO Sisak

Criminal offence: war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH

Prosecution: Igor Bijelić, Rijeka County Deputy State Attorney

Defendant: Vladimir Bekić - unavailable to Croatia judiciary, tried in his absence

Defence: lawyer Gordana Lovrić, court-appointed defence counsel

Victim - killed: Milan Kapac

MONITORING WAR CRIME TRIALS

(available in Croatian): ILOVČAK KOD GLINE izvještaji s praćenja suđenja

JUDGMENT

It could not be derived from the established facts that exactly the defendant was the perpetrator of the criminal offense as charged.However, it was indisputably established that he participated in attacks by illegal paramilitary formations targeting Croatia, its safety and constitution. Therefore, the Deputy County State's Attorney amended the factual description and legal qualification of the indictment in the manner that now it charges the defendant with an armed rebellion under Article 236, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Law Act of the Republic of Croatia (KZRH).