The Appellate Division Panel of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has sent out an Appeals Judgment in the case of Ranko Balaban et al. (S1 1 K 018693 24 Krž 12), dismissing as ill-founded the appeal filed by the BiH Prosecutor's Office as well as those filed by defense counsel for the accused Ranko Balaban, Rajko Karlica, Milenko Brčin, Mirko Odžić, Ratko Goronja, Nikola Reljić, Dragan Baltić, Ranko Baltić, Miroslav Kapetanović, and the appeal filed by the accused Ranko Balaban’s wife, so that the Trial Judgment of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina dated 22 November 2023 is upheld.

The Trial Judgment of 22 November 2023 found the accused Ranko Balaban, Rajko Karlica, Milenko Brčin, Mirko Odžić, Milenko Babić, Ratko Goronja, Nikola Reljić, Dragan Baltić, Ranko Baltić and Miroslav Kapetanović guilty of the criminal offense of Crimes against Humanity under Article 172(1)h) as read with Subparagraphs a), d) and k) and Article 29 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CC BiH), all in conjunction with Article 180(1) CC BiH, so the Court imposed on them the following prison sentences:

• the accused Ranko Balaban, Mirko Odžić, Ratko Goronja, Nikola Reljić, Dragan Baltić and Ranko Baltić – 18 (eighteen) years of imprisonment each;
• the accused Rajko Karlica, Milenko Brčina and Milenko Babić, - 15 (fifteen) years of imprisonment each;
• the accused Miroslav Kapetanović – nine (9) years of imprisonment.

The time the accused spent in pre-trial custody under Court’s decisions shall be credited towards their respective sentences of imprisonment.

The Trial Judgment found the accused guilty that from early May 1992 to at least September 1992, in the framework of a widespread and systematic attack launched by Serb forces of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, subsequently the Army of Republika Srpska, on the Bosniak civilian population in the territory of Bosanski Novi municipality, as members of the Serb armed forces, knowing of the attack and that their actions formed a part thereof, they took part in the persecution of the Bosniak civilian population in the territory of Bosanski Novi municipality on ethnic and religious grounds, by way of murder, enforced transfer of population, torture and other inhumane acts of similar nature, committed with the intent to inflict great suffering.

No appeal lies from the Appeals Judgment.