Bruno Stojić

Bruno Stojić is a Bosnian Croat politician convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. His trial, joined with five co-accused Bosnian-Croat politicians active in the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia wartime entity, ended with him being found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Background

Bruno Stojić was born on 8 April 1955 in the village of Hamzići, People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1992 he was named head of the HVO department of defense by Mate Boban. In 1993 he was moved to the Office for the Production and Sales of Weapons and Military Equipment. On 5 April 2004 he voluntarily surrendered to the ICTY.

Indictment

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia indictment states that his area of authority and responsibility included:

HVO Military Police
HVO intelligence service known as Security and Information Service
moral education which included information and propaganda
Prison health, medical and sanitation services
Military production and logistics.

In the verdict, the ICTY concluded that Stojić "directed and exercised effective control over the HVO armed forces and the Military Police" but "did not make serious efforts to end the commission of crimes although he had the authority and the duty to do so".

Charges

Taken from the ICTY press release:

nine counts of grave breaches of the Geneva conventions ; unlawful deportation of a civilian; unlawful transfer of a civilian; unlawful confinement of a civilian; inhuman treatment.
nine counts of violations of the laws or customs of war, and
''eight counts of crimes against humanity ; imprisonment; inhumane acts.''