Victory of Justice or Politics: Sentencing of Mensur Peljta for Alleged War Crimes

The Basic Court of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina will deliver a verdict tomorrow, starting at 3:00 PM, in the case against Mensur Peljta, suspected of having committed war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war of Serbian nationality in 1992 in the area of the pre-war municipality of Brčko, reports the Patria news agency. 

The indictment charges Peljta with, as a member of the 108th Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, during May and June 1992, committing torture, inhumane treatment, causing great suffering and injuries to the physical integrity of civilians and prisoners of war detained within the former Majevica forestry estate, at the Okrajci site.

The defense of Mensur Peljta, led by Tuzla-based attorney Rifat Konjić, has proven that the indictment is political rather than legal in nature, concocted and filed solely as revenge against Peljta, who during the war, as a world boxing champion, carried the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina with lilies around the world.

After last week's trial, when closing arguments were presented in this case, Peljta stated that he is confident of an acquittal. His attorney, during the closing argument, before a large number of citizens who supported Peljta, refuted and ridiculed all the evidence presented by prosecutor Radmilo Ivanović.

The verdict against Mensur Peljta will demonstrate whether justice or, once again, politics will prevail in this case. The verdict will be delivered by Judge Muhamed Avdić.