First man of Brčko judiciary Kaurinović is a decorated captain of the Army of Republika Srpska

As we said, according to official data, 496 Bosniak and Croat civilians were killed in Brčko. They were liquidated by the Army of Republika Srpska in numerous horrific Brčko camps: Luka, in room number 13 of the Brčko SUP, Hotel Posavina, Laser, Partizan sports hall, the wooden mosque...     

A few defenders were tried and sentenced for slapping captured Serbian soldiers. For example, Mensur Peljto, a well-known boxer, was tried because he allegedly slapped a prisoner, and then Galib Hadžić, a police inspector, who received two and a half years in prison for one slap.

Political and selective trial

Evidence of crimes was not taken into account by the Brčko District judiciary. Although the Hague Tribunal confirmed the involvement of Branko Pudić and Monika Simenunović Karan Ilić in the murders of civilians together with the criminal Goran Jelisić, known as Adolf, those facts from the Tribunal's verdict were not considered by the Prosecutor's Office. Monika was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, the same as those Bosniaks who once slapped captured Serbian soldiers. Jelisić was sentenced to 40 years in prison for unimaginable crimes in Brčko, and that is the highest sentence imposed. The judges and prosecutors of the Tribunal had not encountered worse crimes even at the parallel Tribunal for Rwanda. It seems inconceivable that these facts do not concern the Brčko District judiciary. The Hague is one thing, Brčko prosecutors and judges are another.

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The Brčko judiciary is full of horrific examples of violations of legality. It obviously operates politically and selectively in its work. Bosniaks are nationally persecuted for mistreatment, while even the worst crimes against Serbs are concealed.

Take, for example, the latest case of selective justice. Restrictive measures are proposed for Dragan Živković Travolta, a police officer, while detention is proposed for Redžep Salaj. The Basic Court of Brčko District orders detention for Salaj. He appeals, which is then rejected by the Appellate Court. After all this, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina decides that Salaj's detention was ordered arbitrarily. It is a case of the most ordinary national discrimination, because the status of both suspects is completely identical. Živković is a citizen of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Salaj is a citizen of North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a small example of bias.

It has long been known that some Serbian personnel in the Brčko judiciary are biased and that due to such personnel, political and selective prosecution, as well as punishment of the guilty and innocent, is evident.

One of the shocking personnel of such a judiciary is the President of the Appellate Court in Brčko, Damjan Kaurinović, a former captain of the Army of Republika Srpska, then a judge who convicted camp inmates from the infamous Batković camp near Bijeljina. Such a man runs the Appellate Court, to which those sentenced to multi-year prison terms for one or two slaps must appeal.

He tried camp inmates who were used as human shields

As the President of the Grand Council of the Military Court in Bijeljina, Kaurinović tried people who were captured as civilians, sentenced to multi-year prison terms, and worst of all, who were later, during their imprisonment, used as „human shields“ by the Army of Republika Srpska. Thus, he confirmed the verdict against the brothers Salko and Mujo Halilović, who were all the time in the horrific Batković camp. They were sentenced to 11 years in prison for being guilty of some kind of military rebellion. Worst of all, Kaurinović ordered the extension of detention in the camp for these innocent civilians, and then gave them a three-day deadline to appeal. It is a complete tragedy that such a man sits at the head of the Appellate Court of Brčko District.

As the President of the Grand Council of the Military Court in Bijeljina, Kaurinović tried people who were captured as civilians, sentenced to multi-year prison terms, and worst of all, who were later, during their imprisonment, used as „human shields“ by the Army of Republika Srpska

Mujo Halilović remembers those jobs between the trenches and the frequent human shields: „They never took both brothers to any camp work. One always stayed as a guarantee so that the other would decide not to escape... I could have escaped many times, but I gave up out of fear of what would happen to my brother Salko. Many camp inmates were wounded in such jobs, some lost a leg or two, and some lost their heads“, Mujo recalls. 

That is the kind of horror in which judge Damjan Kaurinović participated.   

To finally round off the wartime journey of judge Kaurinović, it should also be said that as a member of the Army of Republika Srpska, he was decorated with the highest military honors. Kaurinović received the „Order of Miloš Obilić“ from Radovan Karadžić, which is given to those „who have distinguished themselves by heroic feats and armed struggle“. So, these are acts of direct war engagement. A particular problem is that such a person should be passing judgments on his comrades-in-arms.

(In the next installment: What kind of justice is happening in Brčko District? Brčko judges directly connected to the Army of Republika Srpska)