Seven accused acquitted, Almir Sarajlić sentenced to 20 years in prison for war crimes

(Patria) - The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has issued a first-instance verdict in the case of Ibrahim Purić and others (Križančevo Selo).

Accused Ibrahim Purić, Ibrahim Tarahija, Nijaz Sivro, Rušit Nurković, Sadik Omanović, Šaćir Omanović and Kasim Kavazović were acquitted, while Almir Sarajlić was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The accused were charged with committing the criminal offense of war crimes against prisoners of war under Article 175, Paragraph 1, Point a) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CC BiH), and the accused Ibrahim Purić also with the criminal offense of war crimes against the civilian population under Article 173, Paragraph 1, Points a), b), c) and f) of the CC BiH.

The indictment states, among other things, that during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the armed conflict between the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), Ibrahim Purić, in his capacity as commander of the 325th Mountain Brigade of the ARBiH and commander of the Tactical Group (TG) North of the 3rd Corps of the ARBiH, Ibrahim Tarahija, in his capacity as commander of the III Battalion of the 325th Mountain Brigade of the ARBiH, Nijaz Sivro, in his capacity as assistant commander for security of the 325th Mountain Brigade of the ARBiH, Rušit Nurković, in his capacity as assistant commander for morale, information-propaganda activities (IPD) and religious affairs (VP) of the 325th Mountain Brigade of the ARBiH, as well as president of the Commission for Exchange of the 325th Mountain Brigade, and Almir Sarajlić, Šaćir Omanović, Sadik Omanović and Kasim Kavazović, as members of the 325th Mountain Brigade of the ARBiH, on December 22, 1993, during a pre-planned and prepared attack on soldiers of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and the civilian population of Croatian nationality in Križančevo Selo, Šafradin and Dubravica, Vitez municipality, in which at least twelve (12) HVO soldiers who had previously surrendered were executed, and two women of Croatian nationality who did not participate in combat activities were killed, acted contrary to the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, as well as the Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts.

An appeal against this verdict to the Appellate Division of the Court of BiH is permitted.