On 24 March 2011, began the main hearing at the Zadar County Court in the criminal proceedings against the 1st defendant Nebojša Baljak and the 2nd defendant Stevo Ivanišević, charged with a war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH.
INDICTMENT (SUMMARY)
Indictment of the Zadar County State Attorney's Office no. K-DO-51/07 of 14 September 2009 charges the defendants that:
- 1st defendant Nebojša Baljak, in his capacity as armed member of the so-called RSK police in the area of Ravni Kotari, in occupied village Popovići in the period from October 1991 until 18 March 1992 maltreated civilians Zvonko Zelić, Boro Zelić and Mile Zelić;
- the 1st defendant Nebojša Baljak and the 2nd defendant Stevo Ivanišević, in their capacity as armed members of the so-called RSK police, in occupied village Rodaljice on 8 June 1992 in the afternoon, tortured and mistreated civilians Ivan Paić and Stojo Paić.
Click here to read in Croatian the indictment no. K-DO-51/07 of 14 September 2009 issued by the Zadar County State Attorney's Office.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Zadar County Court
Case file number: 17 K - 45/09
War Crimes Council (panel): judge Marijan Bitanga, President of the Council, judges Dijana Grancarić and Vladimir Mikolčević, Council Members
Indictment: no. K-DO-51/07 of 14 September 2009 issued by the Zadar County State Attorney's Office,
Prosecution: Slobodan Denona, Zadar County Deputy State's Attorney
Criminal offence: war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH
Defendants: Nebojša Baljak and Stevo Ivanišević (both defendants with unknown whereabouts and unavailable to Croatian authorities, tried in absentia)
Defence: Filip Brdar, lawyer practising in Zadar representing the 1st defendant; Tanja Budimir, lawyer practising in Zadar representing the 2nd defendant
Victims (intimidated, suffered physical injuries): Zvonko Zelić, Bore Zelić, Mile Zelić, Ivan Paić, Stoja Paić
MONITORING REPORTS
Click here to read in Croatian language the monitoring report on the war crime in Ravni Kotari II trial
After the main hearing had begun at the Zadar County Court, the case was transferred to Split County Court.
The Spit County Court issued a decision in 2012 in which it discontinued the proceedings against Baljak and Ivanišević. Namely, Baljak and Ivanišević were sentenced in 1996 to 20 years in prison each because they committed a war crime.It concerns the same place and time of activities performed by the defendants as it was stated in the ŽDO's indictment in 2009. But in 1996 they were sentenced for significantly more severe criminal offences - killing civilians, while in the indictment laid in 2009 they were charged with torture, mistreatment, inhuman conduct and intimidation.
VSRH dismissed as unfounded the State Attorney's appeal. Therefore, the decision which dismissed further proceedings became final and conclusive.
