A status conference has been scheduled in the case of Neđo Samardžić before the Appellate Panel of Section I for War Crimes of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The status conference will take place on 25 October 2006, starting at 10:00 am in Courtroom 4.

On 29 September 2006, the Appellate Panel rendered a decision upholding the appeals filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and Defence in this case, and revoking the first instance verdict rendered on 7 April 2006.  The same decision orders a retrial before the Appellate Panel.  The decision states, inter alia, that the appeals were upheld on the basis of essential violations of criminal procedure provisions and deficiencies relating to the establishment of facts.

Under the first instance verdict, Neđo Samardžić was found guilty of the criminal offence of Crimes against humanity and sentenced to a compound penalty of 13 years and four months.