Norway Jails Bosnian for War Crimes

Oslo _ In the first war crime trial conducted in Norway since the end of the Second World War, Bosnian war crimes suspect, Mirsad Repak has been sentenced to five years' in jail.

On Tuesday, the Oslo District Court pronounced a first instance verdict against Mirsad Repak, former member of the Croatian Armed Forces, HOS, finding him guilty to the 11 counts, pertaining to "unlawful deprivation of liberty" and sentencing him to five years' imprisonment.

By the same verdict Repak was acquitted of the charges that he raped one person in Dretelj detention camp, near Capljina. 

The Norwegian Court ordered Repak to pay compensation to victims to the amount of KM 100,000 (€50,000).

The Norwegian Prosecution charged Repak with crimes committed against Serb civilians, who were detained in Dretelj detention camp, near Capljina, which was under the control of HOS units in the first year of the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Repak was arrested in May 2007, under a suspicion that he committed "rape, forcible detention and causing of serious injuries", because Norwegian law, which was in force at that time, did not treat war crimes.  

However, the war crime indictment was filed after Norway had changed its laws, on March 7, 2008, in order to enable processing of this type of crime.

Justice Report has learnt that the Defence of Mirsad Repak has announced that it would file an appeal, but the information has still not been confirmed officially. 

Up to now three persons, suspected of having committed war crimes in the former Yugoslav countries, have been arrested in Norway. Repak is the only one who has appeared before court. Besides Repak, Bosnian citizen Sakib Dautovic is in prison, awaiting a decision on eventual deportation or trial, as well as Croatian citizen Damir Sireta, who is awaiting extradition.

This article was compiled by BIRN’s Justice Report. Visit the Justice Report website here.