Maximum sentences in Ibarska case

The Supreme Court has issued maximum sentences to all 12 defendants in the Ibarska Highway murders trial. Four Serb Renewal Movement (SPO) officials were killed during the ambush, in which party leader Vuk Draskovic was lucky to escape with his life.. Maximum sentences in Ibarska case The trial lasted eight years. After the first instance verdicts had been quashed on three occasions, the Supreme Court decided for only the second time in its history to reopen the case and reassess crucial facts. Defense lawyers demanded the acquittal of the accused, while the victims and the prosecution demanded maximum sentences. Former State Security Chief Radomir Markovic, head of the department’s Belgrade branch Milan Radonjic, as well as Special Operations Unit (JSO) Commander Milorad Ulemek were charged with the murders. Others indicted included former Belgrade police chief Branko Djuric and former Customs Chief Mihalj Kertes. Previously, the District Court had sentenced the JSO members to 15 years in prison, Radomir Markovic to 10 subsequently reduced to eight years in prison, while Radonjic and Branko Djuric were acquitted. The Supreme Court decided to take the unusual step of reopening the main hearing, as this had been the third first-instance verdict. Branko Djuric and Milan Radonjic’s legal counsel Zora Dobricanin had expected the Supreme Court to acquit her clients. "Unless the trial is political, I am expecting my clients to be acquitted,” Dobricanin said during the trial. Goran Petronijevic, Radomir Markovic’s legal counsel, said that he was not worried providing that the law was respected. He also voiced the opinion that the trial was under political pressure. "Everybody talked about pressure on the prosecution, especially now, during the trial. However, if the court does not resist the political pressure, we will accept the verdict, and if we're not satisfied with the verdict, we will appeal. This complicated situation needs to be resolved,” Petronijevic said. After the District Court’s final verdict, the prosecution and the victims were left furious with the meager sentences, and the fact that the presiding judge had interpreted the law in such a way that the maximum prison sentence was 15, not 40 years. A representative of the victims, Nikola Barovic, had said earlier that he expected the Supreme Court to “rectify” that decision. "At the hearing before the Supreme Court, the evidence put forward at the District Court was not called into question, and I do not expect the Supreme Court to return a not guilty verdict. According to Serbian criminal law, the maximum sentences should be issued—that means 40 years in prison,” Barovic said. Although the Supreme Court did indeed issue the maximum sentences, that does not, however, mean that the Ibarska Highway case is over. The defendants have the right of appeal to the Supreme Court one more time. Vuk Draskovic (FoNet, archive)

Maximum sentences in Ibarska case

The trial lasted eight years. After the first instance verdicts had been quashed on three occasions, the Supreme Court decided for only the second time in its history to reopen the case and reassess crucial facts. Defense lawyers demanded the acquittal of the accused, while the victims and the prosecution demanded maximum sentences.

Former State Security Chief Radomir Marković, head of the department’s Belgrade branch Milan Radonjić, as well as Special Operations Unit (JSO) Commander Milorad Ulemek were charged with the murders.

Others indicted included former Belgrade police chief Branko Đurić and former Customs Chief Mihalj Kertes.

Previously, the District Court had sentenced the JSO members to 15 years in prison, Radomir Marković to 10 subsequently reduced to eight years in prison, while Radonjić and Branko Đurić were acquitted.

The Supreme Court decided to take the unusual step of reopening the main hearing, as this had been the third first-instance verdict.

Branko Đurić and Milan Radonjić’s legal counsel Zora Dobričanin had expected the Supreme Court to acquit her clients.

"Unless the trial is political, I am expecting my clients to be acquitted,” Dobričanin said during the trial.

Goran Petronijević, Radomir Marković’s legal counsel, said that he was not worried providing that the law was respected. He also voiced the opinion that the trial was under political pressure.

"Everybody talked about pressure on the prosecution, especially now, during the trial. However, if the court does not resist the political pressure, we will accept the verdict, and if we're not satisfied with the verdict, we will appeal. This complicated situation needs to be resolved,” Petronijević said.

After the District Court’s final verdict, the prosecution and the victims were left furious with the meager sentences, and the fact that the presiding judge had interpreted the law in such a way that the maximum prison sentence was 15, not 40 years.

A representative of the victims, Nikola Barović, had said earlier that he expected the Supreme Court to “rectify” that decision.

"At the hearing before the Supreme Court, the evidence put forward at the District Court was not called into question, and I do not expect the Supreme Court to return a not guilty verdict. According to Serbian criminal law, the maximum sentences should be issued—that means 40 years in prison,” Barović said.

Although the Supreme Court did indeed issue the maximum sentences, that does not, however, mean that the Ibarska Highway case is over.

The defendants have the right of appeal to the Supreme Court one more time.