Incident in courtroom as judge sends policeman to jail

A member of the Serbian police force in Belgrade was sent to jail for 13 years today after a judge found him guilty of premeditated murder.

Izvor: Beta

Tuesday, 31.05.2011.

14:15

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A member of the Serbian police force in Belgrade was sent to jail for 13 years today after a judge found him guilty of premeditated murder. As Judge Zorana Trajkovic read the verdict, his colleagues reacted with shouts and curses, said reports. Incident in courtroom as judge sends policeman to jail Miljan Raicevic, a member of the police's intervention unit, was found guilty of shooting and killing Djordje Zaric in March 2009. The incident happened in the early hours of the morning after a chase through the streets of downtown Belgrade. Zaric was in the passenger seat of the car that initially refused to stop after being ordered to do so by the officers. "Raicevic is guilty because he, as an on-duty policeman, shot Zaric in the head from the distance of five centimeters, killing him instantly," read Trajkovic. The Higher Court judge added that the ruling should "influence all those with authority to not think that power and force given to them by the state gives them a right to uncontrolled violence". But Raicevic's colleagues in the courtroom on Tuesday reacted "strongly" to the ruling, said reports, with one of them shouting at the judge, accusing her of making a shameful decision, and saying that policemen were "only doing their job", while the courts "never sentenced (football) fans". "We'll talk about this some more," shouted the officer, and concluded with a curse. The court security tried to overpower the policeman, but the judge had to interrupt the reading of the verdict and order everyone out of the courtroom. Raicevic has maintained that he did not feel guilty as he was "working according to the rules and in a professional manner" on the fateful morning. He was previously found guilty and sent to jail for seven years, but the Court of Appeals ordered a retrial in the case.

Incident in courtroom as judge sends policeman to jail

Miljan Raičević, a member of the police's intervention unit, was found guilty of shooting and killing Đorđe Zarić in March 2009.

The incident happened in the early hours of the morning after a chase through the streets of downtown Belgrade. Zarić was in the passenger seat of the car that initially refused to stop after being ordered to do so by the officers.

"Raičević is guilty because he, as an on-duty policeman, shot Zarić in the head from the distance of five centimeters, killing him instantly," read Trajković.

The Higher Court judge added that the ruling should "influence all those with authority to not think that power and force given to them by the state gives them a right to uncontrolled violence".

But Raičević's colleagues in the courtroom on Tuesday reacted "strongly" to the ruling, said reports, with one of them shouting at the judge, accusing her of making a shameful decision, and saying that policemen were "only doing their job", while the courts "never sentenced (football) fans".

"We'll talk about this some more," shouted the officer, and concluded with a curse.

The court security tried to overpower the policeman, but the judge had to interrupt the reading of the verdict and order everyone out of the courtroom.

Raičević has maintained that he did not feel guilty as he was "working according to the rules and in a professional manner" on the fateful morning. He was previously found guilty and sent to jail for seven years, but the Court of Appeals ordered a retrial in the case.

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