Sentences Cut for Bosnian Serbs Behind Teslic Massacre

Under a first instance verdict in July last year, Dragan Marjanovic, Sasa Gavranovic, Vitomir Devic and Zoran Sljuka were each sentenced to 17 years in prison for the murders. Dragomir Kezunovic was sentenced to 14 years.

The Appeals Chamber revised the prison terms for Marjanovic to 14 years, and for Gavranovic, Devic and Sljuka to 15 years each.

Twenty-eight civilians were killed on Mount Borje near Teslic in 1992 by Bosnian Serb soldiers.

A prison sentence of 14 years was confirmed for Kezunovic, against whom an arrest warrant was issued after he had failed to attend the reading of the first instance verdict, when the Chamber had announced he would be placed in custody.

The five men were found guilty, as co-perpetrators, of taking 28 civilians - who had been detained at the police station in Teslic and Pribinic prison - to Mount Borje during the night of June 17-18, 1992 and killing them.

Marjanovic was commander of the Military Police Squad of the Teslicka Brigade with the Bosnian Serb Army, VRS, while the other defendants were members of that Squad and, at the same time, members of the military part of the 'Mice' formation.

This decision by the Appeals Chamber may not be appealed.