BUDIMIR: I HOPE FOR THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE IN THE APPEAL PROCEEDINGS FOR THE MURDER OF BAŠIĆ

BANJA LUKA, December 15 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska Minister of Interior Željko Budimir stressed that there is no punishment that can bring back the life of murdered Head of the Criminal Police Sector of the Prijedor Police Administration Radenko Bašić, but expressed hope that the accused will be handed down the maximum prison sentences in the second-instance proceedings.

Budimir underlined that it is extremely important for both the perpetrators and those who ordered Bašić's assassination to receive the maximum sanctions they deserve.

"There is no punishment that can bring Radenko Bašić back to life, nor provide adequate satisfaction for his brutal murder and the loss of a great man, a professional, a police officer, and a guardian of justice and the rule of law in every sense of the word," Budimir said.

He recalled that police officers across Republika Srpska today showed solidarity while awaiting the verdict against the killers of their colleague, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.

"I am proud of all members of the Ministry of Interior and their gesture. None of us has forgotten that March morning when Radenko Bašić was killed, and I believe that this event left no citizen indifferent. That is why the verdict against the perpetrators must be adequate, because an attack on the police is an attack on the state," Budimir said.

The Court of BiH today sentenced Aleksandar Miljatović to 34 years in prison for the murder of Bašić, while the mastermind behind the killing, Dalibor Railić-who was also charged with organised crime related to drug trafficking-was given a combined sentence of 29 years.

Radenko Bašić was killed by a gunshot on March 21, 2022, as he was on his way to work.