On 22 February 2010, the main hearing commenced before the Sisak County Court in the trial against Ivica Kosturin and Damir Vrban, indicted for committing a war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH.
On 12 May 2010, the defendants were found guilty. They received a prison sentence in the duration of 7 years each.
The VSRH upheld the first instance verdict.
INDICTMENT (SUMMARY)
The defendants are charged that on 7 September 1991 in Letovanić at the time of armed conflict in the Sisak area, as members of armed forces of the Republic of Croatia - having received an information that a civilian Slavko Ivanjek was insulting and cursing under the influence of alcohol in the public the Croatian President Franjo Tuđman and was telling that Serbs would win the war - went to the house of Ivanjek, tied him up and took him to the Letovanić Local Board premises where they beat him, put him tied up in the vehicle's trunk and took him to uninhabited place on the road between the villages Letovanić and Žažina. There they pulled up the vehicle and took Slavko Ivanjek out of the trunk and beat him severely with truncheons inflicting many severe bodily injuries. In such condition, they transported Ivanjek to the military barracks known as "ORA" in Galdovo and left him there. Soon after that Slavko Ivanjek died of the inflicted injuries.
Therefore, the defendants are charged with torturing, acting inhumanely and killing a civilian at the time of armed conflict, whereby they committed a war crime against civilians described as punishable pursuant to Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Sisak County Court
Case file number: K-49/09
War Crimes Council: judge Melita Avedić, Council President, judges Predrag Jovanić and Željko Mlinarić, Council Members
Indictment of the Sisak ŽDO (County State Attorney's Office) No.: K-DO-22/2009 of 03 December 2009.
Prosecution: Marijan Zgurić, the Sisak County Deputy State's Attorney
Criminal act: a war crime against civilians, Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH
Defendants: Ivica Kosturin and Damir Vrban
Defence: Berislav Herceg, a lawyer practising in Zagreb - defence counsel representing the 1st defendant Ivica Kosturin; Stanislava Jerković Bjelajac, a lawyer practising in Sisak - defence counsel representing the 2nd defendant Damir Vrban
Victim (abused and killed): Slavko Ivanjek
TRIAL MONITORING REPORTS
LETOVANIĆ - trial monitoring reports (in Croatian)
VERDICT
On 12 May 2010, the War Crimes Council of the Sisak County Court found the defendants guilty. Each defendant was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
Verdict dated 12 May 2010, may be viewed here.
The VSRH upheld the first instance verdict.
