OSIJEK, April 8 (Hina) - The Osijek County Court on Thursday found Nikola Ivankovic guilty of war crimes against civilians in Paulin Dvor near Osijek in 1991 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. The other indictee, Enes Viteskic,
was acquitted.
OSIJEK, April 8 (Hina) - The Osijek County Court on Thursday found
Nikola Ivankovic guilty of war crimes against civilians in Paulin Dvor
near Osijek in 1991 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. The other
indictee, Enes Viteskic, was acquitted.#L#
Ivankovic and Viteskic were charged, along with a number of as yet
unidentified persons, with killing 19 Serb civilians in Paulin Dvor on
11 December 1991. At the time of the crime, the accused were members
of the Croatian Army's 130th Reserve Brigade and were off duty.
The panel of judges decided that despite lack of immediate witnesses,
a system of facts and indications was established during the
presentation of evidence pointing to Ivankovic's involvement in the
crime.
Although the panel also established facts pointing to Viteskic's
possible involvement in the crime, it decided that the presented
evidence was sufficient to indict him, but not to convict him.
Ivankovic will remain in custody until the verdict is confirmed, while
Viteskic will be released.
The two men had been imprisoned in September 2002 and their trial
started on June 9 last year.
(Hina) rml