Senad Dzananovic

The appeals chamber of the Bosnian state court on Friday confirmed a first-instance verdict sentencing Senad Dzananovic to 11 years in prison and Edin Gadzo to five years for crimes against Serb civilians in the Alipasino Polje neighbourhood of Sarajevo.

The court said that the defendants' appeals had been rejected as "unfounded".

Senad Dzananovic and Edin Gadzo were found guilty of having participated in the unlawful detention of people in the Stela Territorial Defence premises in Alipasino Polje neighbourhood, where more than 100 Serb civilians were held in unsanitary and humiliating conditions, while being subjected to murder, inhumane treatment, rape, disappearances, torture and forced labour, from May to August 1992

Edin Gadzo's defence lawyer urged the Bosnian state court on Friday to acquit his client, arguing that he could not have issued any orders to detain anyone because he was just a driver.

Defence lawyer Senad Dupovac told the Bosnian state court in his closing statement on Friday that numerous witnesses at the trial of Senad Dzananovic and Edin Gadzo had given contradictory statements, and called for an acquittal.

Former fighters Senad Dzananovic, Edin Gadzo and Jasmin Erovic went on trial for participating in a joint criminal enterprise aimed at detaining Serb civilians in the Sarajevo area in 1992 and killing them.