Crime in Gospić

Trial against Tihomir Orešković, Ivica Rožić, Stjepan Grandić, Mirko Norac Kevo and Milan Čanić for a war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Rijeka County Court

Case file number: K-11/01

Panel of judges: judge Ika Šarić, President of the Panel, judge Ivan Vučemil, Panel Member, lay judges Bogdan Marčelj, Branko Tadej and Zdenko Pleše, Panel Members

Indictment: no. DO-K 130/2000 of 5 March 2001 issued by the Rijeka County State Attorney’s Office, amended on 13 March 2003.

Prosecution: Doris Hrast, Rijeka County Deputy State’s Attorney

Defendants: Tihomir Orešković, Ivica Rožić, Stjepan Grandić, Mirko Norac Kevo and Milan Čanić

Defence: lawyers Željko Olujić and Bosiljko Mišetić representing the 1^st defendant Orešković; lawyer Mirko Ružić representing the 2^nd defendant Rožić; lawyers Milenko Škrlec and Ljubiša Kostić representing the 3^rd defendant Grandić; lawyers Tomislav Sabljar and Ivan Kern representing the 4^th defendant Norac Kevo and lawyer Velimir Došen representing the 5^th defendant Čanić

Victims (according to the verdict):

– arrested civilians: Simo Kljajić, Branko Štulić, Radovan Barać, Dane Bulj, Nikola Gajić, Bogdan Šuput, Radojka Diklić, Dušanka Vraneš, Đorđe and Mirjana Kalanj, Miloš and Mileva Orlović, Milan, Anđelka and Mirjana Pantelić, Branko Kuzmanović, Borislav Marić, Radmila Stanić, Stanko Smiljanić, Borka Vraneš, Petar Lazić, Željko Mrkić, Ljubica Trifunović, Mićo Pejnović, Sofija Lončar, Nebojša Trešnjić, Pantelija Radić, Danica Barać, Mile Čubelić, Gojko Hinić, Milan Smiljanić, Milica Krajnović, Ljubica Panjević, Janko Pavlica, Marica Đukić, Petar Svilar, Nikola Serdar, Dragan Rakić, Gojko Radmanović, Milica Radmanović, Mica and Boja Potkonjak, Nikola Stojanović, Vaso Jelinić, Branko Draganić, Luka Šulentić, Andrija Mileusnić, Stojanka Borić with her son, Nikola Ivanišević, Boško Tomičić and several more unidentified persons – later released were: Luka Šulentić, Andrija Mileusnić and Stojanka Borić with her son;

and then,

on 17 October 1991 at least 10 persons were killed at the “Žitnik” (Pazarište) pine tree nursery site, and among them there were most certainly the following persons: Boško Tomičić, Nikola Ivanišević and Milica Radmanović;

on 18 October 1991 remaining arrested civilians were killed at the “Lipova Glavica” site near Perušić, and among them there were the following persons: Simo Kljajić, Branko Štulić, Radovan Barač, Dane Bulj, Nikola Gajić, Bogdan Šuput, Radojka Diklić, Dušanka Vraneš, Đorđe and Mirjana Kalanj, Miloš and Mileva Orlović, Milan Pantelić, Branko Kuzmanović, Radmila Stanić, Stanko Smiljanić, Borka Vraneš, Petar Lazić, Željko Mrkić, Ljubica Trifunović, Mićo Pejnović, Sofija Lončar and other unidentified civilians.

VERDICT

On 24 March 2003, the Rijeka County Court rendered a verdict in which the 1^st defendant Tihomir Orešković was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison, the 3^rd defendant Stjepan Grandić was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison, the 4^th defendant Mirko Norac Kevo was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in prison, the 2^nd defendant Ivica Rožić was acquitted, and in respect of the 5^th defendant Milan Čanić the charges against him were rejected because the prosecutor dropped charges against him on 13 March 2003).

The VSRH at the session of its chamber held on 31 May and on 1 and 2 June 2004 upheld the first-instance verdict.