On 22 November 2023 the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina delivered and pronounced a Trial Judgment in the case of Ranko Balaban et al., by which the accused Ranko Balaban, Rajko Karlica, Milenko Brčin, Mirko Odžić, Milenko Babić, Ratko Goronja, Nikola Reljić, Dragan Baltić, Ranko Baltić and Miroslav Kapetanović were found guilty of the criminal offense of Crimes against Humanity under Article 172(1)h) in conjunction with sub-paragraphs a), d) and k), as read with Article 29 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CC BiH), all as read with Article 180(1) of the CC BiH.
The Court imposed the following sentences on the accused:
- Ranko Balaban, Mirko Odžić, Ratko Goronja, Nikola Reljić, Dragan Baltić and Ranko Baltić – 18 (eighteen) years of imprisonment;
- Rajko Karlica, Milenko Brčina and Milenko Babić – 15 (fifteen) years of imprisonment;
- Miroslav Kapetanović – 9 (nine) years of imprisonment.
The time the accused spent in pre-trial custody shall be credited towards their respective prison sentences.
The accused have been found guilty that, during the period between early May 1992 and at least September 1992, within a widespread and systematic attack of the Serb forces of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, subsequently the Army of Republika Srpska, launched against the non-Serb civilian population in the territory of the Bosanski Novi municipality, as members of the Serb armed forces, being aware of such attack and knowing that their acts formed a part of that attack, they participated in the persecution of the non-Serb civilian population of the Bosanski Novi municipality on ethnic and religious grounds, specifically by: murder, forcible relocation of the population, torture, and other inhuman acts of similar nature committed with the intent to inflict serious suffering.
An appeal from the Judgment may be filed with the Appellate Division Panel of the Court of BiH within 15 days of the day when a written copy of the Judgment was served.
The Court remanded the accused Ranko Balaban, Rajko Karlica, Milenko Brčin, Mirko Odžić, Milenko Babić, Ratko Goronja, Nikola Reljić, Dragan Baltić, Ranko Baltić and Miroslav Kapetanović in custody, which under the Decision may last for a maximum of 9 (nine) months or until the Court issues a new decision, running from the day of arrest. An appeal from the Decision may be filed with the Appellate Division Panel of the Court of BiH within 24 hours of the moment when a written copy of the Decision was served.
