The Appellate Panel of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina acquitted the former commander of the 43rd Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ramiz Duraković, of charges of war crimes against Serbian civilians in the area of Čajnič in 1993, with the explanation that it was not proven that he had knowledge of the crimes committed.
The Chairperson of the Appellate Council, Amela Husić, said that it was not in dispute that the crimes had been committed, nor that Duraković directed the action, but that it had not been proven that he was aware of the murder and burning of the houses.
“No one disputes that the crime took place, nor that the accused led the action, but none of the evidence presented indicates that the information about the murder and the burning of the houses reached the accused, directly or indirectly,” said Husić in explaining the final verdict.
The victim, Miloš Pijević, whose house was set on fire, was sent to civil proceedings with a property claim.
Defense lawyer Denis Jakić said after the verdict that the defense claimed from the beginning that Duraković did not commit the criminal offense for which he was accused.
He added that Durakovic spent almost two years in custody.
The Court of BiH first instance sentenced Duraković to three and a half years in prison for war crimes against Serbian civilians in the area of Čajnič in 1993.
Duraković was sentenced in the first instance for the murder of Darinka Pijević and the burning of the houses of Rajko and Miloš Pijević.
Duraković, who is a citizen of Serbia and Germany, is accused of knowing about the crimes committed as the commander of the 43rd Brigade of the BiH Army, without taking the necessary and reasonable measures to punish the perpetrators.
The indictment charged him with the criminal offense of war crimes against the civilian population, according to the Criminal Code of the former SFRY, announced the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, on whose proposal the indictment was confirmed.
Duraković’s trial began in October 2024.
