Dragutin Hajdu acquitted for Velepromet crime
Crime at Velepromet, acc. Dragutin Hajdu
Due to lack of evidence, Dragutin Hajdu has been acquitted of the charge of committing a war crime against civilians at Velepromet in November 1991.
According to the indictment, the accused, as a member of Serb paramilitary units, together with Stevan Curnić and one unknown member of the said units, was in Velepromet, where civilians and members of the Croatian armed forces were detained after the fall of Vukovar and many of them were abused and killed; in the building called “carpenter”, abused a minor civilian Siniša Rajković (1975), that is, hit him with his hands, feet and rifle butt all over his body, and when he remained lying on the ground, all three stabbed him several times with military bayonets and thus killed him.
The accused was extradited from the UK, after being arrested at the airport there.
The course of the first instance proceedings:
Osijek, June 15, 2021
At the Osijek County Court, the hearing in the criminal proceedings against the defendant Dragutin Hajdu for war crimes at Velepromet, committed by the murder of Jr. Siniša Rajković has finished.
On June 16, 2021, at noon, a judgement was issued declaring the accused Dragutin Hajdu was acquitted of the charge of committing the criminal offense charged in the indictment, a war crime against the civilian population under Article 120/1 of the BCCRH, due to lack of evidence.
Osijek, May 4, 2021
The Osijek County Court has started a hearing in the criminal proceedings against the accused Dragutin Hajdu, a member of the Serb paramilitary units, for the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians.
The defendant is in the remand prison of the Osijek County Court, after he was arrested at the airport on the basis of an international arrest warrant in March 2020 and then extradited from Great Britain to Croatia.
Indictment:
The Osijek County State’s Attorney’s Office filed an indictment on February 24, 2021 against acc. Dragutin Hajdu, a citizen of the Republic of Croatia and Canada, born in 1950, for committing the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians, Article 120, paragraph 1. BCCRH.
The defendant is charged with acting contrary to the rules of international customary war and humanitarian law on the protection of civilians in the evening of November 18, 1991 in Vukovar, after the combined forces of the JNA and paramilitary units of local insurgents and volunteers from Serbia broke the resistance of the defenders of Vukovar and occupied it.
According to the indictment, the accused, as a member of Serb paramilitary units, together with Stevan Curnić and one unknown member of the said units, was in Velepromet, where civilians and members of the Croatian armed forces were detained after the fall of Vukovar and many of them were abused and killed; in the building called “carpenter”, abused a minor civilian Siniša Rajković (1975), that is, hit him with his hands, feet and rifle butt all over his body, and when he remained lying on the ground, all three stabbed him several times with military bayonets and thus killed him.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Toponym: Crime on Velepromet, defendant Dragutin Hajdu
Osijek County Court
Case no.: K-rz-2/21
War Crimes Council:
- Judge Davor Mitrovic, President of the Council
- Judge Miroslav Jukić, Council Member
- Judge Damir Krahulec, Council Member
Indictment: Osijek County State’s Attorney’s Office dated 24 February 2021.
The indictment is represented by Miroslav Kraljević, Deputy State Attorney’s Office in Osijek.
Criminal offense: war crime against civilians under Art. 120 para 1. OKZRH
Defendant: Acc. Dragutin Hajdu, present
Defense: elected defense counsel Ante Nobilo, a lawyer from Zagreb
