Croatia Convicts Bosnian Croats of Detention Camp Crimes

Croatian media reported that Split county court found former Croatian Defence Council fighters Marinko Maric and Zeljko Rodin guilty of war crimes against Bosniak civilians and prisoners of war held at detention camps in the Western Herzegovina area from July to September 1993.

The court, which handed down the verdict on Thursday, sentenced Maric to four-and-a-half years in prison and Rodin to three years and ten months.

"Unfortunately, in all wars, those who are supposed to be the most protected - civilians - are suffering," judge Vladimir Zivaljic was quoted as saying by Slobodna Dalmacija newspaper.

The judge said that although the prescribed sentence for such crimes is five to 20 years, he believed the shorter sentences handed down to both men were legitimate.

"Maric even apologised to a few witnesses, he displayed sorrow and said he was sorry even though he did not admit to the acts," Zivaljic said, according to Slobodna Dalmacija reported.

Croatian media reported that from July to September 1993, the defendants beat Bosniak civilians with poles and kicked them in the genitals, and forced them to drink their own urine, lick their blood from the floor, stand in the sun at high temperatures in thick winter uniforms and lie naked on hot asphalt.

One civilian died from his injuries after being beaten. The defendants also took valuables such as watches from prisoners.

Maric and Rodin are former members of the Knez Domagoj unit of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, which was the Bosnian Croat armed force during the war.

They also worked as agents of the Croatian Security-Information Service, SIS, in the HVO-run Gabela, Silos and Dretelj prison camps in the western Herzegovina area.

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