Two and a Half Years in Prison for Crime in Livno

The Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Ilija Pavić, a former member of the Military Police of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), to two and a half years in prison for a war crime committed against civilians in Livno in 1992, BIRN reported, as stated by the BH News Agency Patria.

The Court assessed that it has been proven beyond any doubt that Pavić, as a member of the Military Police of the Second Battalion of the HVO, killed a civilian of Serbian nationality, Milorad Crnčević, during a raid on the night between August 8 and 9, 1992.

- As this Court concluded, Pavić, along with two colleagues who have since passed away, entered the house of Draginja Rosić and, after Milorad Crnčević came out of the building, told him several times to stop, then shot and hit him in the thigh, after which Rosić soon succumbed - stated the presiding judge of the Trial Chamber, Nidžara Zlotrg.

In explaining the verdict, she said that the Court did not take into account the Prosecution's thesis that the accused Pavić intended to take Milorad Crnčević's life, but rather to inflict bodily harm.

- On the other hand, the Court did not take into account the Defense's thesis that this murder has nothing to do with a war crime. The accused was participating in a raid conducted by the HVO, which means that the actions were indeed committed in the context of war - explained Judge Zlotrg.

She added that the Court did not find any aggravating circumstances when determining the sentence, and that among the mitigating circumstances, the Court considered Pavić's partial admission of guilt, his appropriate conduct during the court proceedings, and the fact that he is the father of four children, three of whom are minors.

Pavić was convicted under the Criminal Code of the SFRY, and this verdict is not subject to appeal.

The trial of Pavić was reopened before the Supreme Court after the verdicts of the Cantonal Court in Livno, by which he was sentenced to three years in prison, were overturned twice, NAP reports.