Officials of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) have arrested Darko Mrda in Prijedor who was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a final judgment of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for crimes against humanity committed in this city, is confirmed for Balkan Investigative Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH) from this institution.
“Taking a series of operational-tactical measures and actions, SIPA police officers located the aforementioned person who was sought by the Court of BiH and an international NCB Interpol arrest warrant, after which he was imprisoned,” the SIPA statement said.
The police agency added that in accordance with the order of the Court of BiH, a person deprived of liberty will be handed over to the Foca Correctional Institution for further jurisdiction. Interpol issued a warrant for Mrda in December 2019.
On 30 November 2018, in the criminal case of Darko Mrđa et al. the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina rendered the Trial Judgment finding the Accused Darko Mrđa and Zoran Babić guilty of the criminal offense of Crimes against Humanity in violation of Article 172(1)(h), as read with Sub-Paragraphs (a) and (k) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CC B-H), all as read with Articles 29 and 180(1) of the CC B-H.
The Accused Darko Mrđa and Zoran Babić were found guilty because within a widespread and systematic attack launched by the army and the police of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, subsequently of Republika Srpska, aimed against the non-Serb civilian population in the Municipality of Prijedor, in the period from May 1992 to late August 1992, knowing of that attack and that their acts constituted a part thereof, as reserve police officers – members of the 1st Intervention Platoon at the Prijedor Public Security Station, contrary to rules of international law, together committed and aided the persecution of the non-Serb civilian population on ethnic and religious grounds in the territory under the control of the army and police of the Serb Republic of B-H, subsequently of Republika Srpska, by way of murders and other inhumane acts, committed with the intent to cause great suffering or serious injury to body or to physical or mental health
The Court of B-H sentenced the Accused Darko Mrđa and Zoran Babić to imprisonment for a term of 15 (fifteen) years each.
Pursuant to Article 284(c) of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Accused were acquitted of the charges as follows: that by the acts referred to in Section 1 of the acquitting part of the Judgment, the Accused Darko Mrđa and Radenko Marinović committed the criminal offense of Crimes against Humanity in violation of Article 172(1)(h) as read with Sub-Paragraph (k) of the same Article of the CC B-H, all as read with Articles 29, 53 and 180(1) of the CC B-H; that by the acts referred to in Section 2 of the acquitting part of the Judgment, the Accused Zoran Babić and Radenko Marinović committed the criminal offense of Crimes against Humanity in violation of Article 172(1)(h), as read with Sub-Paragraph (a) (Radenko Marinović) and Sub-Paragraph (k) of the same Article of the CC B-H (the Accused Radenko Marinović and Zoran Babić), all as read with Articles 29, 53 and 180(1) of the CC B-H.
The Accused were relieved of the duty to reimburse the costs of the proceedings which shall be covered from the budget.
