RIJEKA, March 24 (Hina) - The Rijeka County Court on Monday morning declared war crimes indictees Tihomir Oreskovic, Mirko Norac and Stjepan Grandic guilty as charged and acquitted indictee Ivica Rozic.
RIJEKA, March 24 (Hina) - The Rijeka County Court on Monday morning
declared war crimes indictees Tihomir Oreskovic, Mirko Norac and
Stjepan Grandic guilty as charged and acquitted indictee Ivica
Rozic. #L#
Oreskovic was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Norac and
Grandic received prison sentences of 12 and 10 years.
According to the verdicts which are not final, Oreskovic, Norac and
Grandic are guilty of organising and carrying out the abduction of
at least 50 civilians and their execution.
The panel of judges ruled that it had not been proved that Oreskovic
and Norac had ordered Rozic to abduct three Karlobag Serbs nor that
Rozic had killed the three men on Mt. Velebit.
The time the indictees spent in detention will be calculated in
their sentences.
The trial of the so-called Gospic Group for war crimes against
civilians in the areas of Gospic and Karlobag in October 1991
started in late January 2002.
Around 200 people who gathered in front of the court building this
morning protested loudly after they were informed about the
verdicts.
After a person shouted "treason" from one of the windows of the
court building around 10:55 hours, the defence attorneys of the
accused came out of the building and informed the gathered about the
verdicts, which were announced by judge Ika Saric.
The protesters, mostly residents of the Cetina region, shouted
insults concerning Premier Ivica Racan and President Stjepan
Mesic, chanted threat songs and shouted "We want the duke".
Oreskovic's attorney Zeljko Olujic said the verdict was not final.
Describing it as draconian, Olujic said the verdict had not been
passed by the competent court, as the trial should have been
conducted by a court in Gospic.
"We are surprised at the ruling, but we hope we will prove that
Tihomir Oreskovic did not commit the act he was charged with."
Waiting for the verdict to be announced, the gathered chanted
Ustasha songs and hits by pop-singer Marko Perkovic Thompson.
The gathered included Social-Liberal MPs Zeljko Glavan and Josko
Kontic, the heads of seven municipalities and towns from the Cetina
region, and the head of the headquarters for the protection of
Homeland War values, Mirko Condic.
(hina) rml