Crime in Suknovci and Oklaj

On 13 March 2015, in the retrial before Split Couty Court, Goran Ananović is pronaunced guilty and sentenced with 8 years of imprisonment.

On 31 January 2011 the main hearing began at the Šibenik County Court in the case of Goran Amanović, indicted for committing in the Promina area (Suknovci and Oklaj) a war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH.

On 20 May 2011, the War Crimes Council of the Šibenik County Court pronounced a verdict by which defendant Goran Amanović is acquitted of the charge of war crime against civilians.

The VSRH accepted the appeal of the State Attorney’s Office and quashed the first-instance acquitting verdict.

INDICTMENT (SUMMARY)

The defendant is charged that, as a member of Serb paramilitary units in Suknovci and Oklaj from the end of 1991 until 1994, contrary to international law rules, he physically abused and was beating elderly civilians of Croatian ethnicity, causing death to one elderly man by sustained injuries. Also, the defendant is charged with rape of one elderly female civilian, with attempted rape of another female person, and that he threatened, intimidated, terrorised civilians and plundered their property.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Šibenik County Court

Case file number: K-44/2010

War Crimes Council (panel): judge Nives Nikolac, President of the Council, judges Sanibor Vuletin and Branko Ivić, Council Members

Indictment: no. K-DO-30/06, of 27 December 2010 issued by the Šibenik County State Attorney’s Office

Prosecution: Emilio Kalabrić, Šibenik County Deputy State’s Attorney

Criminal offence: war crime against civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the OKZRH

Defendant: Goran Amanović, held in custody in the detention unit of the Šibenik prison, extradited to Croatia from Bosnia and Hezegovina

Defence: Mladen Klarić, lawyer practising in Šibenik, court-appointed defence counsel

Victims: Krsto Cota – died of sustained injuries from beating; female person (we do not provide the name) – rape victim; female person (we do not provide the name) – attempted rape victim; Stanko Bara – maltreated

VERDICT

On 20 May 2011, the War Crimes Council of the Šibenik County Court pronounced a verdict by which defendant Goran Amanović is acquitted of the charge of war crime against civilians.

The VSRH accepted the appeal of the State Attorney’s Office and quashed the first-instance acquitting verdict.