BOSNIAN STATE COURT CONVICTS SEVEN SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS OF GENOCIDE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 30,2008) - The Bosnian State Court announced yesterday the first instance verdicts in the cases of former members of the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor's formations,Serbian war criminals Milos Stupar, Milenko Trifunovic, Petar Mitrovic, Brane Dzinic, Aleksandar Radovanovic, Slobodan Jakovljevic, Miladin Stevanovic, Velibor Maksimovic, Dragisa Zivanovic, Branislav Medan and Milovan Matic who were charged with having participated in the capture and mass murder of some 10,000 Bosnian civilians from the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica, and with personal participation in the mass murder of more than 1,000 Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian village of Kravice on the evening of July 13, 1995.

These are the first verdicts from the Bosnian State Court involving Genocide charges in connection with events in Srebrenica in July 1995,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Seven (7) Serbian war criminals were convicted for the criminal offense of Genocide pursuant to Article 171 of the CC of Bosnia. The Bosnian State Court sentenced Serbian war criminals Milenko Trifunović, Brano Džinić, and Aleksandar Radovanović to forty-two (42) years long-term imprisonment, Serbian war criminal Miloš Stupar, Slobodan Jakovljević, and Branislav Medan to forty (40) years long-term imprisonment, and Serbian war criminal Petar Mitrović to thirty-eight (38) years long-term imprisonment. All 7 Serbian war criminals were convicted for their participation in the mass murder of more than 1000 Bosnian civilians in the warehouse of the Farming Cooperative Kravice on 13 July 1995 as members of the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor's formations.

The Panel found that several thousand Bosnian civilians were detained at the Sandići meadow in the morning and afternoon of 13 July. Many of these Bosnian civilians were induced by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor to surrender by deception, and were told they would be safe and taken to territory under control of the Bosnian Army.

At least one thousand of these Bosnian civilians were then transported by bus or marched in a column to the warehouse of the Farming Cooperative Kravice, where they were further detained. Beginning in the early evening,the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor mass murdered these 1,000 Bosnian civilians in the warehouse by small arms fire, machine gun fire and the use of hand grenades.

The Panel also found that Serbian war criminals Milenko Trifunović and Aleksandar Radovanović were in front of the warehouse shooting at the Bosnian civilians, whilst Serbian war criminal Brano Džinić was throwing hand grenades at them.

Serbian war criminals Slobodan Jakovljević, Branislav Medan, and Petar Mitrović, acted as armed guards at the rear of the warehouse in order to prevent the detained Bosnian civilians from escaping the ongoing killings through the windows at the rear of the warehouse. It is also found that Serbian war criminal Petar Mitrović fired from his automatic rifle at the detained Bosnian civilians as well. The Panel concluded that these Serbian war criminals perpetrated these acts with the genocidal intent, that is, with the aim to destroy in part a group of Bosnian people. These six Serbian war criminals were accordingly found guilty as co-perpetrators in the commission of the criminal offense of Genocide.

In addition, the Panel found that the Serbian war criminal Miloš Stupar knew of the criminal acts of his subordinates, and that he failed to take measures to punish them, having the genocidal intent as well. Serbian war criminal Miloš Stupar was accordingly also convicted of the crime of Genocide on the basis of command responsibility.

Four (4) Accused, Velibor Maksimović, Dragiša Živanović, Milovan Matić, and Miladin Stevanović, were acquitted of all charges. The Panel concluded that the Bosnian State Prosecutor failed to present sufficient legal evidence to prove beyond doubt that these Accused participated in committing the offense of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes,and they were released from custody,whilst custody against Milovan Matić was cancelled previously during the main trial.

The custody against the convicted Serbian war criminals Miloš Stupar, Milenko Trifunović, Brano Džinić, Aleksandar Radovanović, Slobodan Jakovljević, Branislav Medan, and Petar Mitrović was extended and the time that they have spent in custody will be credited towards their sentence.
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