Trial against Branko Stanković, charged with a war crime against civilians referred to in Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH.

INDICTMENT

The Osijek ŽDO's indictment no. KT-118/96 of 2 July 2002 is available in Croatian here.

Factual description of the indictment was partially amended at the main hearing held on 9 September 2002.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Osijek County Court

Case file no.: K-50/02

Judges' panel: judge Anto Rašić, presiding; judge Hedviga Reisz, member; lay judges Jozo Miličević, Mirela Erdeljić and Kata Đapić, members

Indictment: no. KT-118/96 of 2 July 2002 issued by the Osijek County State Attorney's Office (ŽDO), partially amended at the main hearing held on 9 September 2002

Prosecution: Miroslav Bušbaher, Osijek Deputy County State's Attorney

Criminal offence: war crime against civilians referred to in Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH

Defendant: Branko Stanković, available

Defence counsel: Ljiljana Banac, lawyer practicing in Osijek

Victim - maltreated: Adam Mesar

VERDICT (SUMMARY)

On 9 September 2002, the Osijek County Court pronounced the verdict in which defendant Branko Stanković was found guilty that in Darda from the middle of September 1991 until 4 April 1992 (the exact date is not known) in his capacity as inspector at the Krajina Militia together with Zoran Rujević, he was interrogating Adam Mesar, previously arrested and detained without a decision in writing, at the Militia premises at least ten times, and during the mentioned interrogations they were battering his head, back and arms with a truncheon, pushing it through the mouth into his throat, hitting his back with an iron bar and his head and ears with open fists until Adam Mesar lost consciousness and fell down from the chair to the floor, inflicting therefore physical injuries causing a hearing loss for 23%.

The defendant was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

The Osijek County Court's Verdict is available in Croatian here.

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, at its session held on 4 February 2003, modified the first-instance court's verdict in the section determining the sentence, and sentenced defendant Branko Stanković to 6 years in prison.

The VSRH verdict is available in Croatian here.