Bosnian Serb ex-police officer convicted of torturing civilians during war News
Bosnian Serb ex-police officer convicted of torturing civilians during war

The Belgrade higher court on Tuesday found Bosnian Serb Milorad Jovanovic guilty of torturing prisoners while working as a police officer during the Bosnian War. He was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison.

The charges stem from an incident in 1992 where Javinovic and his superior officers forcibly removed non-Serb civilians from their homes prior to confining them in the Simo Miljuš Memorial Museum in Lušci Palank. There they were tortured in an attempt to extract information from them. In addition to physical torture, civilians were forced to convert to the Orthodox religion and “kiss the boots” of Jovanovic. As a result of this torture, one civilian died.

Judge Beraha Nikicevic said that the testimony was compelling and consistent. The Judge added that the court looked at both mitigating and aggravating circumstances in coming to their conclusion, including Jovanovic’s age and the fact that he is a family man without prior convictions. This was balanced against the aggravating circumstances, including the brutal way the victims were treated when they had done nothing to deserve mistreatment.

This conviction may still be appealed.