Appeals Judgement - Kordić & Čerkez (Part 2/2) - 17 December 2004

For more information:http://www.icty.org/x/cases/kordic_ce...

Dario Kordić was born on 14 December 1960 in Busovača in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is married and has three children. He is a former journalist and was gainfully employed at the Vatrostalna company in Busovača from 1985 onwards. In 1991, Kordić became the President of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Municipality of Busovača. In the same year, he became the Vice-President of the Presidency of the Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna after its foundation on 18 November 1991. When the Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna turned itself into the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna in August 1993, Kordić continued to serve as Vice-President.

Mario Čerkez was born on 27 March 1959 in Vitez in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is married and also has three children. Before the outbreak of the armed conflict in the Lašva Valley, he was employed in the Slobodan Princip Seljo factory near Vitez. Čerkez was one of the founders of the HVO in Vitez, his first duty being Assistant Commander of the Vitez Staff, followed by Commander of the Vitez Brigade. When the Vitez and Novi Travnik Brigades were united, Čerkez became Assistant Commander of that Brigade. Finally, in March 1993, Čerkez became the Commander of the Viteška Brigade.

The Trial Chamber convicted Kordić for planning, instigating and ordering crimes, including persecutions, unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian objects, murder, inhumane acts, imprisonment, wanton destruction not justified by military necessity, plunder, and destruction or wilful damage to institutions dedicated to religion or education. These crimes were committed in the municipalities of Travnik, Vitez, Busovača, and Kiseljak. The Trial Chamber found that Kordić played an instrumental part in ordering the attack on Ahmići in April 1993, an attack in which more than 100 Bosnian Muslim civilians were massacred. The Trial Chamber sentenced Kordić to 25 years of imprisonment.

For crimes committed in Vitez, Stari Vitez and Večeriska, Čerkez was convicted for committing persecutions, and pursuant to both Article 7(1) and 7(3) of the Statute for unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian objects, murder, inhumane acts, imprisonment, taking civilians as hostages, wanton destruction not justified by military necessity, plunder, and destruction or wilful damage to institutions dedicated to religion or education. For these crimes, the Trial Chamber imposed a sentence of 15 years of imprisonment. The Trial Chamber acquitted Čerkez, however, of the charges in respect to the crimes allegedly committed by him in Ahmići.