Having completed a trial in the case of Ibro Merkez et al., the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina delivered a trial judgment finding the accused Ibro Merkez guilty of the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article 142(1) as read with Article 22 of the Criminal Code of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (CC SFRY), which has been adopted based on the Law on the Application of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Criminal Code of SFRY, and sentenced him to 2 (two) years of imprisonment.
The accused Ibro Merkez was found guilty that during the war and armed conflict on Bosnia and Herzegovina between the Army of BiH and the Army of Republika Srpska, in the territory of the Goražde municipality, between mid-July 1992 and 4 August 1992, as Head of the Goražde Public Security Station (SJB) and by function also a member of the War-Time Presidency of the Goražde Municipal Assembly (SO), in violation of the rules of international law, committed the acts of unlawful arrest and inhumane treatment of Serb civilians in the territory of the Goražde municipality.
Under the same Judgment, the accused Ibro Merkez, Predrag Bogunić and Ešef Hurić were acquitted of the charges, namely: Ibro Merkez under Sections I-2a), III-2a) for the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article173(1) e) and c), in connection with Article 180(1) of the CC BiH, all as read with Article 29 of the same Code, and under Sections II a) and IV for the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article173(1) e) and c), in connection with Article 180(1) of the CC BiH, Predrag Bogunić under Sections I-1b), I-2b), III-1b) and III-2b) for the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article173(1) e) and c), in connection with Article 180(1) of the CC BiH, all as read with Article 29 of the same Code, and under Section II b) for the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article173(1) e) and c), in connection with Article 180(1) of the CC BiH, Ešef Hurić under Sections, I-1b), I-2b), III-1 b) and III-2b) the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article173(1) e) and c), in connection with Article 180(1) of the CC BiH, all as read with Article 29 of the same Code
Pursuant to Article 188(1) of the CPC BiH, and in relation to the convicting part of the Judgment, the accused Ibro Merkez shall reimburse the costs of criminal proceedings, whose amount is to be determined in a separate Court’s decision, once all the necessary information was obtained.
