Serbia Ignores Extradition Request for Gojković, BiH Prosecutor's Office Dissatisfied with Sentence

The BiH Prosecutor's Office is not satisfied with the plea agreement in the case against Brano Gojković, reached by the Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, and believes that justice would have been more effectively served if the trial had taken place in BiH, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

The BiH prosecution requested the extradition of Gojković, who according to available information does not have Serbian citizenship, and they are dissatisfied with the 10-year prison sentence.

Brano Gojković is suspected of personally and directly participating in the murder of at least 1,000 victims of Bosniak nationality at the Branjevo farm, aged between 14 and 84, who were killed in just a few hours, as a member of the 10th Sabotage Detachment of the VRS, firing a weapon as part of a firing squad. This execution represents one of the cruelest acts in the Srebrenica genocide.

Due to all of the above, the BiH Prosecutor's Office believes that the extradition of this suspect and his prosecution in BiH would contribute to justice, as other members of the 10th Sabotage Detachment have been sentenced to multi-decade prison terms by the BiH Court.

A red notice was issued for Brano Gojković in 2010 based on the request of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, and according to available information, he has been in the territory of the Republic of Serbia the entire time.

- We are particularly dissatisfied with the fact that the suspect, within the framework of the agreement, did not testify in cases against other suspects, which is an obligation for plea agreements in BiH, and that the agreement was concluded shortly after the extradition request was sent from BiH.

Representatives of the families of the Srebrenica victims have also contacted the BiH Prosecutor's Office and expressed their dissatisfaction with the aforementioned plea agreement.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office understands the victims' dissatisfaction with this outcome of the proceedings, especially given that this suspect is a citizen of BiH, that the crime was committed in BiH, and that the victims, witnesses, and evidence are located in BiH.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office points out that there are other members of the mentioned detachment in Serbia (Zoran Obrnović, known as "Maljić"), as well as Ratko Mladić's former adjutant Dragomir Pećanac, and the commander of the 10th Sabotage Detachment, Milorad Pelemiš, who is even giving interviews on TV shows. Therefore, in the interest of justice, we call on the Serbian judiciary to prosecute these suspects or extradite them to BiH.