In the pronouncement of the verdict, the Appellate Panel stated that the Accused had committed the said offence in the period April 1992 to March 1993 in the Foča Municipality where, as a member of the Army of the so-called Serb Republic of BiH, together with other soldiers, conducted persecution of the Bosniak civilian population on national, ethnical, religious, and gender grounds. The Accused forced victims into sexual slavery, raped them, and conducted other inhumane acts, intentionally causing them great suffering, serious physical injuries and harm to their health.
The pronounced verdict contains, inter alia, the following findings: In May 1992, in Miljevina, Neđo Samardžić raped and abused a female Bosniak in her apartment, subsequently taking her to the street and tying her half-naked to a street pole.
In June 1992, the Accused took a female Bosniak from her house to hotel Miljevina in the Foča Municipality, where he raped her. Afterwards, she was held for seven days in the hotel where she was raped by other soldiers on a daily basis.
In the period June – September 1992, together with Nikola Brčić and Radovan Stanković, the Accused held several Bosniak women (two of whom were minors) as sexual slaves in the so-called Karaman’s house in Miljevina, which was used as a detention camp for women. The women were forced to engage in sexual intercourse with soldiers coming into the house on a daily basis. The Accused personally forced detained women into sexual intercourse with him.
Neđo Samardžić was acquitted of the count which alleged that in August 1992, in front of the Police station in Miljevina, together with brother Zoran and a group of soldiers, he participated in the physical abuse and beatings of Bosniak civilians.
The time the Accused has been held in custody from 19 October 2004 will count towards the sentence.
Subject
X-KRŽ-05/49
