ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - The Croatian Supreme Court on Thursday discussed an appeal by the prosecution against a verdict acquitting three former police officers and one active police of the murder of six prisoners of war, reservists
of the former Yugoslav People's Army, in Bjelovar in 1991. The decision on the appeal will be made at a later date.
ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - The Croatian Supreme Court on Thursday
discussed an appeal by the prosecution against a verdict acquitting
three former police officers and one active police of the murder of
six prisoners of war, reservists of the former Yugoslav People's Army,
in Bjelovar in 1991. The decision on the appeal will be made at a
later date.#L#
After a seven-day trial, the Bjelovar County Court in December 2001
acquitted the four Bjelovar policemen of charges of war crimes against
prisoners of war and civilians. They were charged with abducting in
October 1991 from the Bjelovar police department six imprisoned JNA
reservists and executing them in the woods near Bjelovar. One civilian
from Bjelovar survived the execution, suffering severe wounds.
The Bjelovar County Prosecution in January 2002 appealed against the
verdict stating that the court based the acquittal on facts which were
incomplete and erroneous. The prosecution based its appeal on the
claim that the key witness in the trial had changed his testimony.
(Hina) rml