VSS upholds paramilitaries’ appeals

The Supreme Court (VSS) has upheld the appeals the two former members of the “Scorpions” paramilitary unit. The Supreme Court reduced Branislav Medic’s first instance sentence from 20 to 15 years in prison, and overturned Aleksandar Medic’s sentence, ordering a retrial. VSS upholds paramilitaries’ appeals The Court rejected the appeals of Slobodan Medic and Pera Perosevic, as well as that of the war crimes prosecutor in the case against Aleksandar Vukov, stating that there were no grounds for any of these appeals. In the original trial, Slobodan and Branislav Medic, together with Petrasevic, were found guilty of war crimes against the civilian population, Aleksandar Medic was found guilty of complicity in the same crimes, while Vukov was cleared. Slobodan and Branislav Medic were sentenced to 20 years in prison, Petrasevic received 13, while Aleksandar Medic was sentenced to a five year prison term. In the case of Branislav Medic, the Supreme Court ruled that the Belgrade District Court had failed to fully take into account the significance of the defendant’s attenuating circumstances (the defendant’s lack of a prior criminal record, family circumstances etc), and reduced his sentence to 15 years. The Supreme Court justified its decision to overturn Aleksandar Medic’s sentence on the significant irregularities that had plagued the original trial, because “the reasons regarding his psychological attitude” towards abetting the perpetration of various criminal acts against the civilian population had been, to a large extent, “ambiguous and contradictory”. The court said that the war crimes prosecution’s appeal in Vukov’s case had no grounds, as it found that the “first instance sentence does not contain significant breaches of the provisions of criminal procedure,” and that the evidence set forth was insufficient to prove that he had committed war crimes.

VSS upholds paramilitaries’ appeals

The Court rejected the appeals of Slobodan Medić and Pera Perošević, as well as that of the war crimes prosecutor in the case against Aleksandar Vukov, stating that there were no grounds for any of these appeals.

In the original trial, Slobodan and Branislav Medić, together with Petrašević, were found guilty of war crimes against the civilian population, Aleksandar Medić was found guilty of complicity in the same crimes, while Vukov was cleared.

Slobodan and Branislav Medić were sentenced to 20 years in prison, Petrašević received 13, while Aleksandar Medić was sentenced to a five year prison term.

In the case of Branislav Medić, the Supreme Court ruled that the Belgrade District Court had failed to fully take into account the significance of the defendant’s attenuating circumstances (the defendant’s lack of a prior criminal record, family circumstances etc), and reduced his sentence to 15 years.

The Supreme Court justified its decision to overturn Aleksandar Medić’s sentence on the significant irregularities that had plagued the original trial, because “the reasons regarding his psychological attitude” towards abetting the perpetration of various criminal acts against the civilian population had been, to a large extent, “ambiguous and contradictory”.

The court said that the war crimes prosecution’s appeal in Vukov’s case had no grounds, as it found that the “first instance sentence does not contain significant breaches of the provisions of criminal procedure,” and that the evidence set forth was insufficient to prove that he had committed war crimes.