Croatian court annuls verdict of war crimes against Serbs, orders retrial
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 29 July 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Croatian court annuls verdict of war crimes against Serbs, orders retrial, 29 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57db998913.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 29, 2016
Croatia's Supreme Court quashed a war crimes verdict against lawmaker Branimir Glavas for the killing of Serbs during the 1990s war.
Croatia's Supreme Court has quashed a verdict against a former lawmaker convicted of war crimes for killing Serbian civilians and ordered a full retrial.
Branimir Glavas was sentenced in 2010 to eight years in jail over his role in the gruesome killing of Serbs during the 1990s war in the former Yugoslavia.
But last year the Constitutional Court annulled the verdict on procedural grounds and ordered the Supreme Court to review the case, leading to the July 28 decision upholding the verdict's annulment and ordering a retrial.
Glavas, a former general and far-right lawmaker, declared he was vindicated by the court decisions. He was the highest-ranking Croatian politician to be convicted for war crimes during the 1991-95 conflict.
Glavas, a Bosnian national, had been found guilty of ordering the 1991 abduction, torture, and murder of at least 10 Serbs in the eastern town of Osijek.
The court's ruling sparked outrage in neighboring Serbia on July 28..
"The message of this shameful act is that unpunished crimes against Serbs are normal and allowed," Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said.
The proper handling of war crimes cases involving Croatian nationals was a key criteria in Zagreb's bid to join the European Union in 2013.
Based on reporting by AFP and Nacional.hr
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
