25 August 2008 Sarajevo _ A Bosnian Croat's war crimes trial to get underway in Norway this week, will be the first in the
country since the end of the Second World War.
The Norwegian Prosecution charges Repak, who has Norwegian citizenship as of 2001, with crimes against civilians in the Dretelj detention camp, near Capljina, which was controlled, in 1992, by the Croatian Armed Forces, HOS, to which the accused belonged.
Most detainees who were held in Dretelj under the control of HOS, were Serbian civilians, who were mistreated and held in inhumane conditions, while female detainees were raped. The indictment against Repak mentions 18 individuals, most of whom will appear at this trial as witnesses.
Prosecutor Pål Lønseth, who handles the Repak case, told Justice Report that the Norwegian Prosecution intends to present statements of 35 witnesses, adding that 80 percent of them come from the former Yugoslav countries.
"About half of the statements will be presented via video links, to be established with other countries, while the remaining witnesses will be brought to Norway," the Prosecutor said.
Justice Report has learnt that some witnesses will testify via video link from the premises of the Norwegian Embassy in Sarajevo. Repak will be represented by Norwegian attorney Heidi Bache-Wiig.
The trial is due to start on Wednesday, when the Court will make a decision concerning the further course of the trial. Both parties shall present their arguments. The Court has tasked expert Svein Mønnesland with presenting an overview of the wartime events in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the events that happened in Herzegovina in 1992. The trial may last for up to eight weeks.
Repak was arrested in May 2007, under a suspicion that he committed rape, forcible detention and inflicted severe injuries. After the Norwegian government amended its laws in order to be able to process war crimes, Repak was charged with war crimes as well.
In early November last year the local Government proposed and then passed a new set of laws, which treated crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and terrorism.
Prosecutor Pål Lønseth said that, in case the Court pronounces him guilty, Repak may be sentenced to up to 21 years' imprisonment.
His arrest came as a result of a joint investigation conducted by the Norwegian authorities, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and local prosecutor's offices in the former Yugoslav countries. The investigation focused on war crime suspects who currently reside in Norway.
Late last year, the Norwegian Ambassador in Bosnia, Jan Braathu, told Justice Report that the Norwegian police, in cooperation with the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, had been looking since 2005, for war crime suspects from Bosnia, as well as war crime suspects from other countries, who lived and resided in Norway.
Justice Report is told by Prosecutor Lønseth that there exist "investigation teams", which are looking for war crime suspects in Norway. He said that, "despite the fact that no other persons have been accused by the Norwegian judiciary until now, we can expect more cases to be opened in the future".
The above-mentioned investigations resulted in the arrest of Sakib Dautovic in 2007. He is suspected of having committed crimes in Velika Kladusa. Earlier, the Norwegian court convicted Dautovic for paedophilia and drunk driving. After having filed an appeal, he was acquitted of the charges that he had raped his wife.
Considering the fact that Dautovic does not have a Norwegian passport, his case may be transferred to the local authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina for further procedure.
Norway is the second country in the world to have investigated war crime indictees charged with crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Germany is the other, where several guilty verdicts have already been pronounced.
This article was compiled by BIRN's Justice Report. Visit the Justice Report website here: http://www.bim.ba/en/130/10/
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On Wednesday, August 27, 2008 the trial of Mirsad Repak, 40, who is charged with war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, is due to start in Oslo, Norway. This is the first war crime trial conducted in this country since after the Second World War.
The Norwegian Prosecution charges Repak, who has Norwegian citizenship as of 2001, with crimes against civilians in the Dretelj detention camp, near Capljina, which was controlled, in 1992, by the Croatian Armed Forces, HOS, to which the accused belonged.
Most detainees who were held in Dretelj under the control of HOS, were Serbian civilians, who were mistreated and held in inhumane conditions, while female detainees were raped. The indictment against Repak mentions 18 individuals, most of whom will appear at this trial as witnesses.
Prosecutor Pål Lønseth, who handles the Repak case, told Justice Report that the Norwegian Prosecution intends to present statements of 35 witnesses, adding that 80 percent of them come from the former Yugoslav countries.
"About half of the statements will be presented via video links, to be established with other countries, while the remaining witnesses will be brought to Norway," the Prosecutor said.
Justice Report has learnt that some witnesses will testify via video link from the premises of the Norwegian Embassy in Sarajevo. Repak will be represented by Norwegian attorney Heidi Bache-Wiig.
The trial is due to start on Wednesday, when the Court will make a decision concerning the further course of the trial. Both parties shall present their arguments. The Court has tasked expert Svein Mønnesland with presenting an overview of the wartime events in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the events that happened in Herzegovina in 1992. The trial may last for up to eight weeks.
Repak was arrested in May 2007, under a suspicion that he committed rape, forcible detention and inflicted severe injuries. After the Norwegian government amended its laws in order to be able to process war crimes, Repak was charged with war crimes as well.
In early November last year the local Government proposed and then passed a new set of laws, which treated crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and terrorism.
Prosecutor Pål Lønseth said that, in case the Court pronounces him guilty, Repak may be sentenced to up to 21 years' imprisonment.
His arrest came as a result of a joint investigation conducted by the Norwegian authorities, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and local prosecutor's offices in the former Yugoslav countries. The investigation focused on war crime suspects who currently reside in Norway.
Late last year, the Norwegian Ambassador in Bosnia, Jan Braathu, told Justice Report that the Norwegian police, in cooperation with the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, had been looking since 2005, for war crime suspects from Bosnia, as well as war crime suspects from other countries, who lived and resided in Norway.
Justice Report is told by Prosecutor Lønseth that there exist "investigation teams", which are looking for war crime suspects in Norway. He said that, "despite the fact that no other persons have been accused by the Norwegian judiciary until now, we can expect more cases to be opened in the future".
The above-mentioned investigations resulted in the arrest of Sakib Dautovic in 2007. He is suspected of having committed crimes in Velika Kladusa. Earlier, the Norwegian court convicted Dautovic for paedophilia and drunk driving. After having filed an appeal, he was acquitted of the charges that he had raped his wife.
Considering the fact that Dautovic does not have a Norwegian passport, his case may be transferred to the local authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina for further procedure.
Norway is the second country in the world to have investigated war crime indictees charged with crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Germany is the other, where several guilty verdicts have already been pronounced.
This article was compiled by BIRN's Justice Report. Visit the Justice Report website here: http://www.bim.ba/en/130/10/
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