Bosnian Serb Ex-Policeman Acquitted of Burning Homes

The appeals chamber of the Bosnian state court in Sarajevo on Friday acquitted former reservist policeman Slavko Milovanovic of committing a crime against humanity in the village of Resagici near Srebrenica in May 1992.

Milovanovic, who was a member of a reservist unit at the police Public Security Station in nearby Skelani, was cleared of going to Resagici on May 8, 1992, accompanied by a group of members of military, paramilitary and police units, participating in an attack and giving an order to burn houses which women and children were forced to leave.

Presiding judge Senadin Begtasevic said that an evaluation of the evidence established that the prosecution had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime.

"The analysis of the witness's testimony offers the unequivocal conclusion that the accused could not issue any order to the members of the Public Security Station in Skelani or that he enjoyed any authority," Begtasevic said.

In the first-instance verdict in February 2019, Milovanovic was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Friday's verdict is final and cannot be appealed.