Dražen Čičak (61), a former member of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) in Derventa, has been sentenced by the District Court in Doboj to one year in prison for a war crime against the civilian population committed in 1992. The verdict is not final.
According to the judgment, Čičak violated international humanitarian law in early May 1992 by physically assaulting a Serb civilian detained at a camp established in the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) Center in Derventa.
Serb civilian beaten during two-hour interrogation
The court established that Čičak interrogated the detainee, identified by the initials N.B., in an upstairs room of the detention facility.
Two other HVO members, identified as S.M. and E.K., were present during the interrogation.
Čičak questioned the detainee about his membership in the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), his alleged participation in fighting around Čardak near Derventa and why he had not joined the HVO and Territorial Defence forces.
He also demanded information about the location of weapons.
“During the interrogation, the accused handcuffed N.B. to a radiator and repeatedly struck him with his feet, fists, a baton and the handle of a pistol, targeting his head, kidneys and other parts of his body,” the judgment states.
According to the court, the abuse lasted approximately two hours, causing the victim to lose consciousness.
Verdict subject to appeal
In addition to the one-year prison sentence, Čičak was ordered to pay court costs amounting to 1,052 convertible marks (BAM).
The injured party was referred to civil proceedings to pursue a claim for compensation.
The judgment is not final, and an appeal may be filed with the Supreme Court of Republika Srpska.
Source: Atv
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