Halilović acquitted, Elfeta Veseli sentenced to 10 years in prison

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - In a first-instance verdict delivered today at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sakib Halilović was acquitted of all charges, while Elfeta Veseli was sentenced to 10 years in prison, reports the Patria agency.

The indictment charged Sakib Halilović with the criminal offense of war crimes against the civilian population under Article 173, Paragraph 1, Item c) in conjunction with Article 180, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CC BiH), and the defendant Elfeta Veseli with the criminal offense of war crimes against the civilian population under Article 173, Paragraph 1, Item c) of the CC BiH.

Halilović's defense attorney, Lejla Čović, during her closing arguments, which the Court ultimately accepted, stated that in these criminal proceedings there is no material evidence that Halilović was appointed, elected, or placed in a command position, explaining that her client was charged with being the commander of a sabotage platoon, even though in military terms a platoon is led by a "platoon leader."

The indictment states that during the armed conflict between the Army of Republika Srpska on one side and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the other, Sakib Halilović, as commander of the Sabotage Platoon of the Command of the Joint Units Liplje, Kamenica, of the Armed Forces of BiH, and Elfeta Veseli, as a member of the Sabotage Platoon of the Command of the Joint Units Liplje, Kamenica, of the Armed Forces of BiH, in the period of July or August 1992, in the hamlet of Bajrići – Novo Selo Kamenica, Zvornik municipality, acted contrary to the rules of International Humanitarian Law, violating the provisions of Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Civilians of August 12, 1949.

Mirna Delalić, defense attorney for Elfeta Veseli, repeatedly emphasized that Veseli was never a member of any military unit, for which there is material evidence – an extract from the Ministry of Defense – but the Court ultimately convicted Veseli.

During the trial, the defense argued that the indictment was based on the testimony of an unreliable witness, "S-1," who had been finally convicted multiple times and who claimed to have been present when Veseli killed a boy, with Halilović nearby watching, but who presented numerous inconsistencies during the trial. The Court dismissed his testimony.

We recall that prosecutor Miroslav Janjić amended the indictment during the trial, initially claiming that Elfeta had brutally slit a boy's throat, but the testimony of expert witness Zoran Stanković, who performed the autopsy on the body, established that "a bullet entry wound was observed" on the skull of the boy Slobodan Stojanović. The projectile was fired from close range, which was confirmed by wound reconstruction.

Time spent in custody from March 24, 2017, as well as time spent in extradition custody in Switzerland, was credited towards Elfeta Veseli's sentence.

An appeal against this verdict is possible.