Andrija Bjelošević acquitted of charges of wartime rape in Derventa

(Patria) - The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has acquitted Andrija Bjelošević of charges of war crimes against the civilian population in Derventa in a first-instance verdict.

Bjelošević was acquitted of charges that, from November 1992 to April 1993, in his capacity as head of the Public Security Service Center in Doboj, he raped a female person of Bosniak nationality at least four times in the catering facility “Žaba” in Derventa.

The court panel, as stated in the explanation of the verdict, could not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Bjelošević committed the acts described in the indictment.

By the Court's decision, Bjelošević is exempted from paying court costs, while the injured party AB1 is referred to civil proceedings for their property-legal claim.

In a separate case, Bjelošević was acquitted a few months ago, in a non-final verdict, for crimes against humanity in the areas of Doboj and Teslić.

The trial in this case began in November 2022.

An appeal against today's verdict is permitted, Detektor reports.