Reactions to Judgment in Skočić Case

The Higher Court in Belgrade trial chamber rendered a judgment on February 22nd, 2013 convicting members of the “Sima’s Chetniks” paramilitary group, because of war crimes against a civilian population, committed against a group of Roma in 1992 in the vicinity of Zvornik. Zoran Stojanović and Zoran Đurđević from Šabac were sentenced to twenty years of imprisonment each, Zoran Alić and Tomislav Gavrić were sentenced to ten years of imprisonment each, Dragana Đekić and Đorđe Šević were sentenced to five years of imprisonment each, and Damir Bogdanović was sentenced to two years of imprisonment. Zoran Alić was released from detention, but confined to his place of residence.


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Debate Held on War Crimes Trials in Serbia

A debate on war crimes trials in Serbia was held on Thursday, January 17th, 2013 in the Media Center in Belgrade. The Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) organized the debate anent the presentation of its Report on War Crimes Trials in 2012. Representatives of the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor (OWCP), the Higher Court in Belgrade, the Court of Appeals in Belgrade, representatives of the OSCE, EULEX, the Office for Human and Minority Rights, the Higher Courts in Niš and Prokuplje, Embassies, the Ministry of Justice and the state administration, and of non-governmental organizations attended the debate.


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Judgment in Mark Kashnjeti Case based on unconvincing evidence

On November 19, 2012, the War Crimes Chamber of the Higher Court in Belgrade, with the Trial Panel presided over by Judge Vinka Beraha-Nikicevic, sentenced Mark Kashnjeti to two years in prison for a war crime against the civilian population. The Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) holds that the evidence on which the judgment is based is seriously flawed and  insufficient for a finding of Kashnjeti’s liability.
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Chief Prosecution Witness ‘Not Credible’ but 11 Convicted in Gnjilane Case Re-trial

On September 19th, 2012, a trial chamber at the Higher Court in Belgrade – War Crimes Department, presided over by Judge Snežana Nikolić-Garotić, rendered a guilty verdict  sentencing Samet Hajdari to 15 years of imprisonment, Ahmet and Nazif Hasani to 13 years each, Agush Memishi, Burim Fazliu, and Selimon Sadiku to 12 years each, Faton Hajdari to 10 years, Kamber Sahiti, Ferat Hajdari, and Sadik Aliu to 8 years each, and Shefqet Musliu to 5 years of imprisonment. They were found guilty of committing a criminal act of war crime against the civilian population, as defined by Article 142 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Yugoslavia, in Gnjilane/Gjilan during the period June 17th-23rd, 1999, against protected witnesses C1 and C2, whom they tortured, beat and raped. The accused were acquitted, due to a lack of evidence, of charges of torture and killing of as yet unidentified victims and of the mutilation and incineration of bodies. Fazli Ajdari, Rexhep Aliu, Shaqir Shaqiri, Shefqet Musliu, Sadik Aliu, Idriz Aliu, Shemsij Nuhium, Ramadan Halimi, and Ferat Hajdari were acquitted of all charges due to the lack of evidence.


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Lovas case first-instance judgment demonstrates professionalism of Trial Panel

On June 26, 2012 the Trial Panel of the Higher Court in Belgrade – War Crimes Department, presided over by judge Olivera Andjelkovic, delivered its judgment on fourteen defendants, convicted for having ordered or carried out an attack on Croat civilians in the village of Lovas, in the Republic of Croatia, during October and November 1991. The fourteen were convicted for having committed crimes of inhuman treatment, torture, violation of bodily integrity (beating, wounding or causing serious bodily harm)  and murder, which resulted in the killing of 40 and the wounding of 11 Croat civilians.


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Beli Manastir verdict delivers incomplete justice

On June 19th, 2012, the trial chamber of the Higher Court in Belgrade – War Crimes Department, presided over by Judge Dragan Mirković, convicted four persons indicted for the commission of war crimes against Croat civilians in the Beli Manastir municipality between August 1991 and later the same year. Zoran Vukšić was sentenced to 20 years in prison Slobodan Strigić to 10 years, Bransko Hrnjak to 5 years and Velimir Bertić to 1 year and 6 months.


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Report from the Debate on War Crimes Trials in Serbia

A debate on war crimes trials in Serbia was held on Friday April 27th, 2012 in the Media Centre in Belgrade. The reason for organizing this debate was the Report on War Crimes Trials in Serbia in 2011 published by the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC). Representatives of the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor, the Higher Court in Belgrade Department for War Crimes, the Court of Appeals in Belgrade, the courts from all over Serbia, attorneys, representatives of civil society, and representatives of embassies participated in the debate.


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