Crime in Morinj
On 15 May 2010 at the Higher Court in Podgorica, the first instance verdict was pronounced wherein the defendants, former JNA members, were found guilty for committing criminal offences – a war crime against civilians and a war crime against war prisoners – in the Dubrovnik area in the Morinj detention camp near Kotor in 1991 and 1992.
On 6 December 2010, the Appellate Court quashed the first instance verdict and reversed the case back to the High Court for a retrial.
After the repeated first-instance trial, the verdict was rendered by which Mlađen Govedarica and Zlatko Tarle were acquitted, whereas Boro Gliglić was sentenced to 3, Ivo Gojnić to 2, Špiro Lučić to 3 and Ivo Menzalin to 4 years in prison.
In July 2012, the Appellate Court quashed again the first-instance verdict.
INDICTMENT
According to the Indictment, members of active and reserve units of the former JNA Mlađen Govedarica, Ivo Gojnić, Zlatko Tarle, Špiro Lučić, Boro Gligić and Ivo Menzalin were ordering and executing torture and inhumane treatment of war prisoners and civilians brought from the Dubrovnik area beginning 1991 and 1992 causing them severe suffering, during the war in the detention camp Morinj.
The Indictment of the Department for suppression of organized crime, corruption, terrorism and war crimes within the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office of Montenegro No. 7/08 of 15 August 2008, see here (PDF 3.131 MB).
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Higher Court in Podgorica, Montenegro
Case file number: K 214/08
Indictment: No. 7/08 of 15 August 2008 issued by the Department for suppression of organized crime, corruption, terrorism and war crimes within the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office of Montenegro
Criminal offence: a war crime against civilians under Article 142, paragraph 1 of the KZ SRJ and a war crime against war prisoners under Article 144 of the KZ SRJ
Defendants: Mlađen Govedarica, Ivo Gojnić, Zlatko Tarle, Špiro Lučić, Boro Gligić – in detention until the pronouncement of the first instance verdict, and Ivo Menzalin – allegedly hiding in Belgrade, the assumption of the Podgorica media.
Victims – abused war prisoners and civilians (169 persons): Josip Herget, Damir Kos, Silvio Smoljan, Anto Pavlović, Jadran Barada, Ivo Šlangerberg, Josip Kopić, Zaim Užičanin, Tomislav Kuntić, Slavko Rajić, Nikša Matijaš, Ivo Žikić, Marko Margaretić, Đuro Margaretić, Božidar Trklja, Niko Uhodić, Marko Knežić, Lovro Šutalo, Mario Curić, Zdenko Bulić, Ivo Veramenta, Zlatko Bagoje, Mario Lučić, Ivan Zdravulić, Nestor Nestorov, Pero Arkulin, Pavo Verametna, Božo Jović, Srećko Batinć, Đuro Čučuk, Vlaho Veramenta, Ivo Kristić, Andro Ćupić (father Mato), Ivo Vidojević, Pero Baule, Andro Ćupić (father Mijo), Željko Bronzan, Ivo Radovac, Ivo Mrkonjić, Mato Milković, Vilson Kužnin, Rikardo Kužnin, Nikša Ucović, Ivo Dimnić, Niko Brailo, Mato Vučica, Jurica Vištica, Đuro Bagović, Jozo Puljić, Boško Bošković, Božo Ćupić, Niko Vezelinić-Novaković, Srećko Bajo, Ivo Svetac, Ivo Lasić, Jure Markić, Antun Katić, Miljenko Ljubičić, Đuro Vitković, Đuro Matusić, Antun Brailo, Vlaho Bistrić, Metodije Prkačin, Đuro Vitković, Pero Brailo, Bruno Bokšić, Ante Mostina, Mato Strujić, Davor Grbić, Niko Štaka, Željko Svalina, Ilija Lonza, Vladimir Bakić, Milo Dupčić, Jure Radoš, Antun Moretić, Vido Oberan, Niko Alaga, Dario Brajević, Luka Piplica, Miljenko Šikić, Miho Fjorović, Ivo Marinović, Matija Novaković, Andrijan Piplica, Pero Radelj, Pavo Prlenda, Baldo Čagalj, Andro Radonjić, Antun Baule, Niko Kesovija, Nikola Šuljak, Pero Matijić, Đuro Burđelez, Kristo Lazarević, Radoslav Miličević, Miho Selak, Tomislav Kuntić, Željko Bajo, Robert Hausvička, Dominik Begić, Luka Urlović, Ivo Kordić, Filip Zadre, Ivo Bobić, Andrija Čagalj, Ivica Mezei, Anđelko Matić, Niko Šuljak, Igor Guljelović, Nikša Moretić, Ivo Arbanasin, Ivo Kukuljan, Božo Grizlo, Mijo Matijašević, Mijo Jaganjac, Ivan Letica, Mato Brajević, Grgo Miličević, Antun Cvjetković, Ivo Čeović, Slavko Natrlin, Anto Ćuk, Ivan Ćuk, Ivo Prokurica, Antun Laptalo, Andrija Mikić, Bruno Duplica, Željko Iličić, Antun Banović, Ivo Kralj, Antun Kralj, Niko Opušić, Petar Prendel, Miho Džano, Božo Pendo, Ivo Barišić, Niko Braičević, Jadran Barada, Damir Smoljen, Željko Pehar, Nedžad Hodžić, Selim Puntul, Marko Lučić, Pero Škoro, Ilija Radoš, Joško Puljić, Ivo Obad, Mato Butigan, Nikola Đurasović, Goran Čolak, Nikša Martić, Safet Idrizaj, Pero Matijić, Ivo Kordić, Petar Perutin, Josip Peteranec, Matko Krstičević, Vedran Vodopić, sada pokojni Miho Kralj, Vlaho Brailo, Miho Brailo, Božo Ban, Antun Čagalj, Nikola Zlovečar, Jako Obrad, Nikola Lučić, Pero Đurišić i Krešimir Bošković
TRIAL MONITORING REPORTS
We monitored only one trial hearing in this case held on 24 September 2009.
VERDICT
On 15 May 2010, the defendants were found guilty and sentenced to the following prison terms:
– Ivo Menzalin, tried in absentia, 4 years,
– Špiro Lučić, 3 years and 6 months,
– Boro Gligić, 3 years,
– Ivo Gojnić, 2 years and 6 months,
– Mlađen Govedarica, 2 years, and
– Zlatko Trle, 1 year and 6 months.
They were all released from detention until the verdict becomes final.
On 6 December 2010, the Appellate Court quashed the first instance verdict and reversed the case back to the High Court for a retrial.
After the repeated first-instance trial, the verdict was rendered by which Mlađen Govedarica and Zlatko Tarle were acquitted, whereas Boro Gliglić was sentenced to 3, Ivo Gojnić to 2, Špiro Lučić to 3 and Ivo Menzalin to 4 years in prison.
In July 2012, the Appellate Court quashed again the first-instance verdict.
