Seven wartime fighters were sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison for the inhumane treatment, unlawful detention, torture and killing of civilians in the city of Lukavac in 1992.
Lamija Grebo, October 10, 2024
Defendants Abid Arapcic, Refik Morankic and Ahmet Bajric with lawyer Meris Cato (speaking on phone). Photo: BIRN.
The Bosnian state court on Thursday sentenced Bosniak ex-fighters Zijad Srabovic and Refik Morankic to six years in prison, Ahmet Bajric to seven years, Abid Arapcic to five years, and Pasaga Cajic, Samir Dzambic and Mirsad Zilic to two years for wartime crimes against civilians.
They were found guilty of the inhumane treatment, unlawful detention, torture and killing of civilians who were held in detention facilities in the city of Lukavac from June to October 1992.
The verdict stated that Srabovic was assistant commander for security of the Territorial Defence force’s headquarters in Lukavac, Morankic was commander of a group called Fiko’s Unit and of a prison in the Klaonica slaughterhouse building, while the other defendants were members of that unit or military policemen.
Bajric was found guilty of murder, torture and inhumane treatment. The verdict said that he and other individuals beat up a man who eventually died in the Secondary School Centre in Lukavac. Bajric was also found guilty of treating another man in an inhumane manner, acting together with another military policeman.
Morankic was found guilty of murder, inhumane treatment, torture and unlawful detention.
“The court has determined, beyond reasonable doubt, that Refik Morankic was in a position of authority and gave instructions to his soldiers to detain civilians,” Judge Braco Stupar said, adding that witnesses confirmed that he ordered the illegal detention of civilians.
Judge Stupar said that Morankic also subjected the victims to inhumane treatment.
He and Srabovic were found guilty of failing to take measures that would have prevented their subordinates from committing criminal offences or to sanction them afterwards.
Morankic did nothing to prevent the torture of one victim by Bajric and Arapcic, and failed to prevent Arapcic from beating another man, who later died, as well as beating with other detainees in the Klaonica building.
“The court has determined that he took part in concealing and covering up the death of that civilian,” Stupar said.
The verdict also said it has been established beyond reasonable doubt that Cajic, Zilic and Dzambic participated in the torture of a man at the Elementary School in Lukavac, and that Srabovic treated the man’s wife in an inhumane manner.
Morankic did not attend the pronouncement of the verdict due to a medical problem, his lawyer said.
The trial began in June 2019. Another man who was originally indicted, Senaid Cosic, died during the course of the proceedings.
The verdict can be appealed.
Copyright BIRN 2015