On 16 February 2010, the main hearing commenced before the Sisak County Court in the trial against Pero Đermanović, Ljuban Bradarić, Dubravko Čavić and Ljubiša Čavić, who were indicted for committing in 1991 in the villages Stubalj, Graboštani, Gornji and Donji Hrastovac a war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH.
On 23 April 2010, the first instance verdict was pronounced against the defendants finding them guilty and sentencing them to prison: Pero Đermanović (11 years), Ljuban Bradarić (1 year), Dubravko Čavić (9 years) and Ljubiša Čavić (2 years).
The session of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia was held on 22 December 2010. Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia quashed the verdict of Sisak County Court.
The VSRH quashed the first instance verdict in the case of defendants Đermanović and Dubravko and Ljubiša Čavić. As for defendant Bradarić, the first instance verdict was confirmed.
After the repeated trial, the Zagreb County Court's War Crimes Council found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to the following prison sentences: Pero Đermanović (9 years), Dubravko Čavić (7 years) and Ljubiša Čavić (2 years).
The VSRH Appeal Chamber at its session held on 5 September 2012 quashed the verdict iand remanded the case back to the first-instance court for a retrial.
On 26 March 2013, the Zagreb County Court's War Crimes Council pronounced the verdict in which defendants Đermanović, Dubravko Čavić and Ljubiša Čavić were found guilty and sentence to the following prison sentences: Đermanović (9 years), Dubravko Čavić (7 years) and Ljubiša Čavić (2 years).
The Indictment No. K-DO-10/09 dated 5 November 2009 issued by the Sisak County State Attorney's Office (hereinafter: ŽDO) charges the defendants that in October 1991, in the villages Stubalj, Graboštani, Gornji and Donji Hrastovac, as members of illegal armed units of the so-called SAO Krajina unlawfully deprived of liberty, abused and killed the civilian Vladimir Letić, put houses on fire whereby they severely destroyed property and intimidated civilians with the purpose of forcing them to leave their villages.
You can see the indictment here (in Croatian).
GENERAL INFORMATION
Sisak County Court
Case file number: K-44/09
War Crimes Council: judge Snježana Mrkoci, Council President; judges Željko Milinarić and Alenka Lešić, Council Members
Indictment: No. K-DO-10/09 of 5 November 2009 issued by the Sisak ŽDO.
Prosecution: Ivan Petrkač, the Sisak County Deputy State's Attorney
Criminal act: a war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH
Defendants: Pero Đermanović (kept in custody, which was cancelled on 12 November 2012), Ljuban Bradarić (not detained), Dubravko Čavić (unavailable to Croatian authorities) and Ljubiša Čavić (his detention was vacated after the pronouncement of the first instance verdict)
Defence: Zorko Kostanjšek, a lawyer practising in Sisak representing the 1st defendant; Danko Kovač, a lawyer practising in Sisak representing the 2nd defendant; Ivan Rafaj, a lawyer practising in Sisak representing the 3rd defendant, Domagoj Rupčić, a lawyer practising in Sisak representing the 4th defendant
Victims:
- unlawfully captured, abused and killed: Vladimir Letić
- houses put on fire - the property of: Stevo Karanović and Ivo Karanović
- intimidated: Danica Devedžija
REPEATED TRIAL
Zagreb County Court
Case file number: K-rz-1/11
War Crimes Council: judge Zdravko Majerović, Council President, judges Željko Horvatović and Tomislav Juriša, Council Members - instead of judge Željko Horvatović in the third (second repeated) trial, the member of the Council is judge Tatjana Ivošević Turk
Indictment: No. K-DO-10/09 (K-DO-145/11) issued by the Sisak ŽDO on 5 November 2009
Prosecution: Robert Petrovečki, the Zagreb County Deputy State's Attorney
Defendants: 1st defendant Pero Đeranović - kept in custody, 3rd defendant Dubravko Čavić - tried in absentia, 4th defendant Ljubiša Čavić - attends the trial
VERDICT
On 23 April 2010, the first instance verdict was pronounced against the defendants finding them guilty and sentencing them to prison: Pero Đermanović (11 years), Ljuban Bradarić (1 year), Dubravko Čavić (9 years) and Ljubiša Čavić (2 years).
The Court removed from the description the 4th defendant Ljubiša Čavić's paticipation in forced detention and liquidation of Vladimir Letić.
The session of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia was held on 22 December 2010. Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia quashed the verdict of Sisak County Court.
After the repeated trial, the Zagreb County Court's War Crimes Council found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to the following prison sentences: Pero Đermanović (9 years), Dubravko Čavić (7 years) and Ljubiša Čavić (2 years).
The VSRH Appeal Chamber at its session held on 5 September 2012 quashed the verdict iand remanded the case back to the first-instance court for a retrial.
On 26 March 2013, the Zagreb County Court's War Crimes Council pronounced the verdict in which defendants Đermanović, Dubravko Čavić and Ljubiša Čavić were found guilty and sentence to the following prison sentences: Đermanović (9 years), Dubravko Čavić (7 years) and Ljubiša Čavić (2 years).
