Zoran Ilić sentenced to 11 years for war crimes near Rogatica, Radenko Ilić acquitted of all charges

(Patria) - The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina today delivered a first-instance verdict for Zoran and Radenko Ilić, who were charged with war crimes against the civilian population.

Zoran was thus sentenced to 11 years, while Radovan was acquitted of all charges.

The indictment charged Zoran Ilić and Radenko Ilić with acting contrary to the rules of international law in the period from the end of May 1992 to the end of 1993 in the Rogatica municipality, as part of a widespread and systematic attack by the army of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and subsequently the army of the Republika Srpska, directed against the non-Serb civilian population in the Rogatica municipality.

"Zoran and Radenko, as members of the Rogatica Brigade, knowing of this attack and that their actions formed part of the attack, were charged with participating in the persecution of the Bosniak civilian population on national and religious grounds, acting with discriminatory intent, contrary to the rules of international law, specifically through the enforced disappearance of persons, Bosniak civilians from the settlement of Rudo, Rogatica municipality," the BiH Prosecutor's Office previously stated.

Both were charged with war crimes against the civilian population, while today's first-instance verdict sentenced Zoran to 11 years, and Radovan was acquitted of all counts of the indictment.

Specifically, both were charged with participating on June 19, 1992, in the settlement of Rudo in the taking away of a group of civilians of Bosniak nationality, who have since disappeared without a trace.

The defense of Radenko Ilić focused on the testimonies of witnesses Slavko Lubarda and Milovan Sredojević, and assessed that they cannot be believed due to long-standing health problems caused by alcoholism.

The defense attorney stated that none of the witnesses of Bosniak nationality said they saw Radenko Ilić that day. He reminded that the defense witnesses recounted where the accused was at that time.

An appeal against this decision is possible.