In the notice of appeal against the first instance verdict to Radovan Karadzic, The Hague Prosecution requested from the Appellate Chamber a sentence of life imprisonment for the former President of Republika Srpska, as reported by BIRN.
With the first instance verdict, on the 24th of March, The Hague Tribunal sentenced Karadzic to 40 years in prison, finding him guilty of genocide in Srebrenica, persecution of Muslims and Croats throughout BiH, terrorizing civilians in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members as hostages.
According to the verdict, these crimes were committed within four joint criminal enterprises in which Karadzic was the protagonist.
Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz found that the Trial Chamber “committed a mistake in applying the law and establishing the facts … when imposing a sentence less than life imprisonment, taking into account the findings on Karadzic’s criminal responsibility.”
The subject of the Prosecutor’s appeal will be a decision of the Trial Chamber to acquit Karadzic of the first count of the indictment, which charged him for genocide against Muslims and Croats in seven municipalities in BiH.
Brammertz stated that the Trial Chamber made a mistake when found that “Karadzic and other participants in the joint criminal enterprise had no genocidal intent” towards non-Serb residents of these municipalities.
Prosecution claims that the judges made a mistake when applied “too narrow definition of genocidal intent,” and because they established that the goal of the permanent removal of the population does not confirm genocidal intention.
In this regard, there is another ground for appeal of the Prosecution. With the first instance verdict was determined that it was not proven that the living conditions in which the Serbian authorities held the Muslims and Croats in detention centers in the municipalities were focused on their physical destruction, whether partially or completely.
Chief Prosecutor is requesting the Appellate Chamber to correct these mistakes, declare Karadzic guilty of genocide in seven municipalities and, consequently, increase the sentence.
(Source: avaz.ba)
