BOSNIAN STATE PROSECUTOR APPEALS VERDICT AGAINST SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL ZELJKO LELEK

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (August 25,2008) - The Bosnian State Prosecutor filed appealed the first instance verdict against Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek, sentencing him to 13 years' imprisonment for war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

As per the announcement made by the Bosnian State Prosecution, the appeal referred to the acquitting part of the verdict and the duration of the sentence.

The Prosecution considers that "certain criminal procedure and criminal law provisions" have been violated, while "the factual status has been incorrectly determined".

The Bosnian State Court pronounced the first instance verdict on May 23 this year. It found Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek guilty, as member of the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor's formations, of having participated in the deportation, rape, sexual abuse and unlawful detention of Bosnian civilians from the Visegrad area during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

As stated in the verdict Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek was sentenced for having participated in taking away of Hasan Ahmetspahic and Nail Osmanbegovic from Crnca village, as well as rape of Zejneba Osmanbegovic.

Besides that he was found guilty of having raped two other Bosnian women in the course of June 1992. The two Bosnian women were detained by the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor in "Vilina vlas" spa, which was turned into a concentration camp during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek was found guilty of unlawful detention of Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad. He was acquitted of the sub-charges that he tortured one of detained Bosnian civilians.

By the first instance verdict Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek was also acquitted of the charges that he participated in the taking away and murdering of a group of Bosnian civilians on the Drina river banks and the deportation of several Bosnian families from Visegrad.

The Prosecution's appeal has been forwarded to the Appellate Chamber of the Bosnian State Court.
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