here - Humanitarian Law Center/Fond za humanitarno pravo

here - Humanitarian Law Center/Fond za humanitarno pravo here - Humanitarian Law Center/Fond za humanitarno pravo

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company of the 1st Armoured Battalion of the 2nd Proletarian Guard Mechanized Brigade of the JNA. Between 10 and 18 October 1991, Milan Devčić and Milan Radojčić, with the support of the TO, the newly established militia and the Dusan the Great volunteer group, unlawfully arrested Croatian civilians and ordered humiliating and discriminatory measures be taken against them, obliging them to mark their houses with white cloths and making them wear white bands around their arms. . The Court defined as inhuman treatment, the order of Ljuban Devetak to subject the Croat civilian population to work assignments, forcing them to work in the fields and to collect the corpses of their fellow nationals in the presence of those who had killed them, and throw the corpses into the ditch at the local cemetery, all under armed escort. It was established that Devetak, Devčić and Radojčić, during October 1991, had subjected seven civilians to physical and mental abuse in order to extract from them information about whether their family members belonged to the Croatian armed forces. The Court also established that Devetak, Devčić and Radojčić had taken part in the killing of the civilians. On an unspecified date in October 1991, Ljuban Devetak personally ordered members of the Dusan the Great group to kill civilians Snežana Krizmanić and Marina and Katarina Balić. Between 14 and 18 October 1991, Devetak and Milan Devčić made a ‘liquidation list’, following which members of the Dusan the Great armed group, between 16 and 18 October 1991, killed 16 civilians 128 . On an unspecified date in November 1991, unidentified members of the Dusan the Great armed group, following an order from Ljuban Devetak, killed Zvonimir Martinović. The court found no evidence indicating when and on whose order Zoran Krizmanić had been killed, or whether Devetak ordered the murder of Stjepan Luketić. It was established that the accused Devetak and Miodrag Dimitrijević, on the morning of 17 October 1991, made an agreement on and subsequently issued orders (Ljuban Devetak to certain members of the Dusan the Great armed group and Miodrag Dimitrijević to Perić, commander of the Sabateurs Squad of the Valjevo TO) to confine the villagers of Croatian ethnicity in the yard of the Agricultural Cooperative in order to find culprits for “nocturnal armed provocations”. The Court also established that the defendant Ljuban Devetak caused the defendant Petronije Stevanović and a number of members of the Dusan the Great group to physically abuse Croatian civilians confined in the yard of the Agricultural Cooperative by showing, on the night of 17-18 October 1991, video footage of the celebration of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) anniversary, in the village of Lovas, and telling members of the Dusan the Great group present at the time: “Well, brothers, let’s see now who our enemies are”. Thereafter, members of the Dusan 128 The following persons were killed: Darko Pavlić, Željko Pavlić, Marko Damjanović, Josip Jovanović, Petar Luketić, Đuka Luketić, Alojz Krizmanić, Stipe Dolački, Đuro Krizmanić, Franjo Panđo, Andrija Devčić, Marija Fišer, Ivan Vidić, Marin Balić, Katarina Balić and Anton Luketić. 56

the Great group went to the Agricultural Cooperative where the Croatian civilians were confined. In the presence of Devetak, they attacked the Croatian civilians they had seen in the video footage, punching and kicking them and hitting them with cables and metal bars, while the accused Stevanović stabbed six civilians 129 with a knife. The accused Nikolaidis joined the group of Dusan the Great members who were beating civilians, and hit the civilians with a rifle butt. The defendants Devetak and Dimitrijević, in a meeting held on the evening of 17 October 1991, made a decision to send the Sabateurs Squad of the Valjevo TO, the Dusan the Great volunteer group, and two members of the Lovas TO to search the terrain around the vineyards 130 , using the Croatian civilians who were confined in the Cooperative using them as “human shields” in case of an attack by Croatian armed forces, although they knew that the area had been mined on 13 October 1991 by the JNA. The defendant Dimitrijević ordered the defendant Perić, commander of the Sabateurs Squad of the Valjevo TO, which arrived in the village of Lovas on 17 October 1991, carry out that action together with members of the Dusan the Great volunteer group. On the following day, 18 October 1991, on the orders of commander Perić, Vlajković and Josipović arrived at the Cooperative with some 50 soldiers. Members of the Dusan the Great volunteer group, namely Jovan Dimitrijević, Stojanović, Bačić and Kosijer, joined them there, carrying orders from an un-named person, to use the civilians as a ‘human shield’ to demine the minefield. Upon reaching the minefield, members of the Dusan the Great armed group ordered the civilians to enter it, holding hands, pushing away the clover with their feet and stop upon noticing a mine. Josipović and Vlajković, despite having realized that the civilians would be used for mine clearance and despite not having been ordered to do so, continued taking part in that action together with their soldiers. After the mines began exploding as a result of the civilians stepping on them, members of the TO and the Dusan the Great group opened fire on the survivors, killing 17 of them 131 , and leaving another 11 seriously or lightly wounded 132 . Following the killing and wounding of the civilians, Saša Stojanović ordered the clearance of the remaining unexploded mines, giving instructions to those civilians who had not been injured how to do it. About 15 mines were deactivated in this way. The Court could not establish whether civilian Petar Badnjak, listed among 18 victims in the amended indictment, died on the minefield since none of the witnesses-injured parties who survived the minefield incident could confirm with certainty that Badnjak was there. Following orders issued by Devetak, Stevanović took part in the killing of at least five civilians, and Nikolaidis of at least one Croatian civilian between 16 and 18 October 1991. The court established that Petronije Stevanović took part in the killing of six persons – Petar Luketić, Đuka Luketić, Alojz Krizmanić, Stipe Dolački, and Marin and Katarina Balić. However, in order to 129 Ivica Đaković, Boško Bođanac, Marin Madžarević, Zlatko Toma, Ivan Vidić and Anton Krizmanić. 130 The vineyards are located on the outskirts of the village of Lovas, in the direction of the Šid - Vukovar highway. 131 Marijan Marković, Tomislav Sabljak, Ivan Sabljak, Marko Sabljak, Zlatko Panjik, Antun Panjik, Darko Solaković, Ivan Palijan, Slavko Kuzmić, Zlatko Božić, Marko Vidić, Mato Hodak, Slavko Štrangarević, Mijo Šalaj, Ivan Kraljević and Josip Turkalj. 132 Stanislav Franković, Ivan Mujić, Zlatko Toma, Ljubomir Solaković, Josip Gerstner, Mato Kraljević, Josip Sabljak, Emanuel Filić, Milko Keser, Milan Radmilović and Marko Filić. 57

the Great group went to the Agricultural Cooperative w<strong>here</strong> the Croatian civilians were confined.<br />

In the presence of Devetak, they attacked the Croatian civilians they had seen in the video<br />

footage, punching and kicking them and hitting them with cables and metal bars, while the<br />

accused Stevanović stabbed six civilians 129 with a knife. The accused Nikolaidis joined the group<br />

of Dusan the Great members who were beating civilians, and hit the civilians with a rifle butt.<br />

The defendants Devetak and Dimitrijević, in a meeting held on the evening of 17 October 1991,<br />

made a decision to send the Sabateurs Squad of the Valjevo TO, the Dusan the Great volunteer<br />

group, and two members of the Lovas TO to search the terrain around the vineyards 130 , using the<br />

Croatian civilians who were confined in the Cooperative using them as “human shields” in case<br />

of an attack by Croatian armed forces, although they knew that the area had been mined on 13<br />

October 1991 by the JNA. The defendant Dimitrijević ordered the defendant Perić, commander<br />

of the Sabateurs Squad of the Valjevo TO, which arrived in the village of Lovas on 17 October<br />

1991, carry out that action together with members of the Dusan the Great volunteer group. On<br />

the following day, 18 October 1991, on the orders of commander Perić, Vlajković and Josipović<br />

arrived at the Cooperative with some 50 soldiers. Members of the Dusan the Great volunteer<br />

group, namely Jovan Dimitrijević, Stojanović, Bačić and Kosijer, joined them t<strong>here</strong>, carrying<br />

orders from an un-named person, to use the civilians as a ‘human shield’ to demine the minefield.<br />

Upon reaching the minefield, members of the Dusan the Great armed group ordered the civilians<br />

to enter it, holding hands, pushing away the clover with their feet and stop upon noticing a mine.<br />

Josipović and Vlajković, despite having realized that the civilians would be used for mine<br />

clearance and despite not having been ordered to do so, continued taking part in that action<br />

together with their soldiers. After the mines began exploding as a result of the civilians stepping<br />

on them, members of the TO and the Dusan the Great group opened fire on the survivors, killing<br />

17 of them 131 , and leaving another 11 seriously or lightly wounded 132 . Following the killing and<br />

wounding of the civilians, Saša Stojanović ordered the clearance of the remaining unexploded<br />

mines, giving instructions to those civilians who had not been injured how to do it. About 15<br />

mines were deactivated in this way. The Court could not establish whether civilian Petar<br />

Badnjak, listed among 18 victims in the amended indictment, died on the minefield since none of<br />

the witnesses-injured parties who survived the minefield incident could confirm with certainty<br />

that Badnjak was t<strong>here</strong>.<br />

Following orders issued by Devetak, Stevanović took part in the killing of at least five civilians,<br />

and Nikolaidis of at least one Croatian civilian between 16 and 18 October 1991. The court<br />

established that Petronije Stevanović took part in the killing of six persons – Petar Luketić, Đuka<br />

Luketić, Alojz Krizmanić, Stipe Dolački, and Marin and Katarina Balić. However, in order to<br />

129 Ivica Đaković, Boško Bođanac, Marin Madžarević, Zlatko Toma, Ivan Vidić and Anton Krizmanić.<br />

130 The vineyards are located on the outskirts of the village of Lovas, in the direction of the Šid - Vukovar highway.<br />

131 Marijan Marković, Tomislav Sabljak, Ivan Sabljak, Marko Sabljak, Zlatko Panjik, Antun Panjik, Darko<br />

Solaković, Ivan Palijan, Slavko Kuzmić, Zlatko Božić, Marko Vidić, Mato Hodak, Slavko Štrangarević, Mijo Šalaj,<br />

Ivan Kraljević and Josip Turkalj.<br />

132 Stanislav Franković, Ivan Mujić, Zlatko Toma, Ljubomir Solaković, Josip Gerstner, Mato Kraljević, Josip<br />

Sabljak, Emanuel Filić, Milko Keser, Milan Radmilović and Marko Filić.<br />

57

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