Cases in trial or on appeal against verdict

Documents 04.02.2008. Vuković Ranko and Another First instance 02.09.2008. Vuković Ranko and Another Second instance 30.06.2009. Vuković Ranko and Another Second instance All documents are in PDF format. In order to view them you need Adobe Acrobat reader.

The indictment alleges that, Ranko and Rajko Vuković, armed with automatic weapons, together with two other individuals, killed a Bosniak civilian in the Podkolun village ( Foča Municipality ) towards the end of May 1992.  The indictment alleges that the Accused then left the village and killed another Bosniak civilian in a field near the road.

In addition to the above, the indictment alleges that, on an undetermined date in July 1992, Ranko Vuković raped a Bosniak civilian in Miljevina, Foča. 

Counts in the indictment:

Ranko Vuković is charged with Crimes against humanity pursuant to Article 172 (1) (h) (persecution) of the Criminal Code of BiH (CC BiH) in conjunction with the following items of the same Article:

•  depriving another person of his life (murder) and 
•  coercing another by force to sexual intercourse (rape)  

all in conjunction with Article 180 (1) (individual criminal responsibility) of the same Code. 

The indictment charges Rajko Vuković with Crimes against humanity pursuant to Article 172 (1) (h) (persecution) of CC BiH in conjunction with paragraph a) (depriving another person of his life  - murder), all in conjunction with Article 180 (1) (individual criminal responsibility) of the Code.

Course of the proceedings:

The Court confirmed the indictment on 31 August 2007.  On 13 September 2007, Ranko Vuković pleaded not guilty. Rajko Vuković failed to appear at plea hearings on 13 and 17 September 2007. At the second hearing the Court recorded a plea of not guilty in accordance with the law.

On 8 November 2007 commenced the main trial. On 4 February 2008, the Court pronounced the first-instance verdict in the case against Ranko Vuković and Another, by which Ranko and Rajko Vuković were found guilty of Crimes against Humanity and both sentenced to a sentence of imprisonment for a term of twelve (12) years.

The Appellate Panel of the Section I for War Crimes of the Court handed down the Verdict on 2 September 2008 in the Ranko Vuković and Another (X-KRŽ-07/405) case by which the firstinstance Verdict of the Court was revoked in the sentencing part and ordered a retrial before the Appellate Panel for this part of the Verdict. Within the same Verdict the Appellate Panel confirmed the first-instance Verdict in the acquitting part.

On July 1, 2009, The Appellate Panel of Section I for War Crimes of the Court delivered the second-instance verdict acquitting the accused Ranko and Rajko Vuković of the charges that they committed the criminal offence of Crimes against Humanity.