Published 13.03.2025. | Nina Sauerborn
The War Crimes Council of the Osijek County Court has announced the verdict in the criminal case against the defendant. Boško Joković for the criminal offense of war crimes against civilians
On 12 March 2025, at 9 a.m., the War Crimes Council of the Osijek County Court announced the verdict in criminal case no. K-rz-3/2024 v. Boško Joković for the criminal offense of War Crimes against Civilians under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the Basic Criminal Law of the Republic of Croatia.
The defendant, Boško Joković, was found guilty and sentenced to 5 years in prison. The defendant's pre-trial detention has been extended.
The Osijek County State's Attorney's Office, after conducting an investigation, filed an indictment before the Osijek County Court against 8 Croatian citizens, for committing the criminal offense of War Crimes against the Civilian Population under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia commited in Karanac.
Five defendants from that indictment are unavailable to the judiciary of the Republic of Croatia and the Osijek County State's Attorney's Office has proposed a trial in absentia against them. The second and sixth defendants are in prisons in the Republic of Croatia, they were extradited to the Republic of Croatia for other criminal offenses. In order to be able to be tried in this proceeding, for the criminal offense of war crime, pursuant to the Law, the Ministry must request extradition from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Great Britain, the countries from which these defendants were extradited for other criminal offenses.
The third defendant, Boško Joković, was extradited to the Republic of Croatia on the basis of a European Arrest Warrant from Germany.
The defendant was found guilty and sentenced that, as a member of the Karanac Territorial Defence, together with other defendants, also members of the Karanac Territorial Defence, in the period from 15 August 1991 to 20 November 1991, he participated in the abuse of 17 civilians in Karanac, who emigrated with their families due to trauma and fear of further abuse.
The parties to these criminal proceedings have the right to appeal against the pronounced non-final verdict to the High Criminal Court of the Republic of Croatia.
