DURAKOVIĆ'S EXTRA-LEGAL ACQUITTAL CLOSES POSSIBILITY OF RE-PROSECUTION

SARAJEVO, MAY 28 /SRNA/ – By acquitting the former commander of the 43rd Brigade of the so-called Army of BiH, Ramiz Duraković, of charges of war crimes against Serb civilians in the Čajniče area outside the scope of the law, the Court of BiH is closing the possibility of re-prosecution, said SNSD deputy in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Milorad Kojić.

Kojić said that the judges who decided in the Appellate Chamber of the Court of BiH have neither shame nor remorse.

"Imagine the judge who explains that it is undisputed that the crimes occurred, that the accused commanded the operation in which the crimes were committed, but that there is not enough evidence that he had knowledge on it," Kojić said.

He stressed that since its establishment, the Court of BiH has positioned itself in such a way that, by ruling on its indictments, it absolves everyone who committed crimes against Serbs and thereby permanently closes any possibility of re-prosecution before that or any other court.

"This is an unbelievable extra-legal practice conducted by the Court of BiH and a renewed form of terror over victims and the injured parties," Kojić concluded.

He assessed that this is yet another shameful judgment of the Court of BiH when it comes to crimes against Serbs.

"This has additionally traumatized and humiliated Serb victims," he said.

According to the explanation of the final judgment, the presiding judge of the Appellate Chamber Amela Husić stated that it is not disputed that the crimes occurred, nor that Duraković commanded the operation, but that it was not proven he was aware of the killings and setting the houses of fire.

The injured party, Miloš Pijević, whose house was burned down, has been referred to civil proceedings for compensation claims.

The Court of BiH had previously sentenced Duraković to three and a half years in prison for war crimes against Serb civilians in the Čajniče area in 1993, including the killing of Darinka Pijević and the setting the houses belonging to Rajko and Miloš Pijević on fire.