Safet Kovačević Sentenced to One Year in Prison: Forced Serb POWs to Sing "My Bosnia"

After signing a guilt admission agreement, the Cantonal Court in Bihać sentenced Safet Kovačević to one year in prison for mistreating war prisoners in 1995, reported BIRN, as stated by the BiH news agency Patria.

Kovačević, a former military policeman of the Fifth Corps of the Army of BiH (ABiH), admitted guilt, stating that in March 1995, he participated in the beating and abuse of war prisoners of Serb nationality.

Kovačević was convicted of beating war prisoners with police batons, rifle butts, hands, and feet on March 11, 1995, along with other members of the Military Police, forcing them, among other things, to sing the song "My Bosnia" during their transfer from Cazin and Bihać to the Izačić border crossing for an exchange.

The court in Bihać accepted the sentence of one year in prison proposed in the agreement.

Kovačević was sentenced to 18 months in prison for this crime in July last year, but the Supreme Court of the Federation of BiH overturned this verdict and ordered a retrial.

Initially, former military policemen Husein Begić and Muhamed Anadolac were tried along with Kovačević.

Begić's acquittal was confirmed by the Supreme Court of the Federation of BiH, while Anadolac's verdict was overturned, and a new trial is expected to begin before the Cantonal Court in Bihać, writes NAP.