Total of 54 years in prison for the crime in Velagići near Ključ

(Patria) - The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has, in a first-instance verdict, sentenced Boško Unčanin, Marinko Miljević, and Dragan Despot to a total of 54 years in prison for participating in the murders of at least 74 civilians in Velagići near Ključ on June 1, 1992.
Boško Unčanin.

Unčanin, Miljević, and Despot were each sentenced to 18 years in prison and found guilty of crimes against humanity, specifically for participating in the persecution of the Bosniak civilian population in the Ključ area as members of the Army of Republika Srpska.

Unčanin and Despot did not appear for the pronouncement of the verdict, and the Court issued a decision ordering their detention.

Miljević, who is currently serving a sentence for another offense, attended today's hearing.

“The Council has concluded beyond doubt that from the end of May 1992 until the end of the year, there was a widespread and systematic attack exclusively against the Bosniak population… It has reliably and undoubtedly established that Unčanin, Miljević, and Despot, acting with discriminatory intent, committed persecution,” said the presiding judge of the Trial Chamber, Minka Kreho.

As stated in the verdict, men from Vojići, Hasići, Nezići, Hadžići, and other hamlets of Velagići were summoned on June 1 to a checkpoint, where they were detained and subsequently imprisoned in the old school.

In the evening, they were ordered to come out and lined up against a wall, while the accused, along with other soldiers, formed a semicircle and opened fire, killing at least 74 civilians. The bodies were transported to the mass grave "Lanište dva", which was exhumed in 1996.

Kreho stated that no one disputed these events, but the Defense disputed the evidence of the accused's presence and their participation in the murders.

“Numerous witnesses disputed the Defense's claims,” said the presiding judge, also pointing to some material evidence.

The Council, as stated by Kreho, found primarily aggravating circumstances for the accused when determining the sentence.

“Uniformed and armed – without any empathy towards unarmed civilians,” said the judge.

She added that there were no mitigating circumstances that would have led to a reduction of the sentence.

The Council partially granted the request of the injured witness "A" and ordered the three accused to pay him 20,000 KM in solidarity for inflicted mental anguish due to the loss of his father and two brothers. Other injured parties were referred to civil proceedings.

The Council ordered detention for Unčanin and Despot, who were defending themselves from freedom, and revoked their travel bans. The defense attorneys were also absent from the pronouncement of the verdict.

The trial of Unčanin, Miljević, and Despot began in September 2022.

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