Appeals on Verdict Against Lawyer Vasvija Vidović Scheduled for October 9

(Patria) - The Appellate Department of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has scheduled the presentation of appeals against the first-instance verdict for lawyer Vasvija Vidović, who was non-finalistically sentenced to one year in prison for obstructing justice by hiding the mobile phone of the suspended President of the BiH Court, Ranko Debevec, was confirmed for Detektor.

The defense has filed an appeal against the verdict due to significant violations of criminal procedure provisions, violation of substantive law, incorrect and incomplete determination of factual circumstances, as well as due to the decision on the amount of criminal sanctions.

At the beginning of February, Vidović was convicted of obstructing justice for hiding the mobile phone of the suspended President of the BiH Court, Ranko Debevec, who was arrested in December 2023 for abuse of office.

The Court imposed a prison sentence of one year on Vidović, which includes the time the accused was detained from December 18, 2023, to December 20, 2023.

According to the non-final verdict, on December 18, 2023, Debevec, after being arrested on suspicion of abuse of office and forgery of an official document, called Vidović to represent him as his defense attorney, and in a separate room of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), took a mobile phone out of his bag and offered it to her.
Court of BiH

Vidović, as read by judge Miroslav Janjić during the sentencing, knowingly and aware that the mobile phone was to be temporarily seized by order of the BiH Court and that it served as evidence in the criminal proceedings against Debevec, took the mobile phone by taking her bag from the table, moving it towards Debevec, after which he put the mobile phone into the bag. Vidović returned the bag to its original place, thereby hiding the mobile phone with the aim of "significantly hindering the evidence in the proceedings against Debevec".

The Court did not accept the request for the security measure of prohibiting the practice of law for a period of three years, which was previously requested by the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office accused Debevec, Osman Mehmedagić, and Milisav Pijuk, and the BiH Court confirmed the indictment. Debevec is accused of abuse of office or authority, forgery of an official document, receiving a reward or other benefit for trading influence, unauthorized wiretapping and audio or visual recording, as well as for misrepresentation and violation of the Law on Gender Equality of BiH.