Yesterday, 11 April 2005, Ranko Cesic was transferred to Denmark to serve his 18 year sentence, as handed down by Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Ranko Cesic was transferred to the ICTY on 17 June 2002. During his initial appearance on 20 June 2002, he pleaded not guilty to all counts in the indictment. Following a negotiated Plea Agreement between Ranko Cesic and the Prosecutor on 8 October 2003, he changed his plea to guilty to 12 counts of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war (six of each) (see Press Release 787e).

On 11 March 2004, Ranko Cesic was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment (see Press Release 831e).

The offences

Cesic was a member of the Bosnian Serb Territorial Defence in Brcko, northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 15 May 1992, he became a member of the Intervention Platoon of the Bosnian Serb Police Reserve Corps at the Brcko police station.

The crimes for which Ranko Cesic was convicted took place from 30 April 1992 onwards while Serb forces were engaged in the take-over of the municipality of Brcko. During this operation, Serb forces forcibly expelled and transferred the Muslim and Croat residents of Brcko to collection centres. These collection centres included the Luka detention facility and the Brcko Partizan Sports Hall.

In total, Ranko Cesic admitted to killing 10 individuals, two of whom died as a result of beatings, and to having forced two brothers to perform a sexual act on each other. He committed all these crimes within a period of 10 to 32 days.

Cesic was convicted of the murder of Sakib Becirevic and of four other men at the Brcko Partizan Sports Hall on or about 5 May 1992.

Cesic was also convicted of the murder of a detainee at Luka camp named "Sejdo", on approximately 11 May 1992.

Thirdly, Cesic was convicted of the murder of a Muslim policeman named Mirsad detained at Luka camp, on approximately 11 May 1992. The victim, who was detained in a hangar together with the other detainees, was first ordered by Ranko Cesic to say goodbye and shake hands with the other detainees. He was then taken out by Ranko Cesic and other Serb policemen, who beat him and killed him.

Ranko Cesic was also convicted of humiliating and degrading treatment for having forced, at gunpoint, two Muslim brothers detained at Luka camp to perform fellatio on each other. This act was committed around 11 May 1992.

Cesic was further convicted of the murder of a Muslim detainee at Luka Camp named Nihad Jasarevic. This man was beaten to death with clubs by Cesic and another Serb policeman.

Finally, Ranko Cesic was convicted of the murder of at least two other detainees at Luka Camp. Ranko Cesic admitted that, sometime between 14 May and 6 June 1992, he took four detainees out of the Luka Camp’s office building, led them to the paved road in front of the main hangar building and, with the assistance of two guards, shot and killed at least two of them.

Transfer

Ranko Cesic is the first ICTY person convicted and sentenced by the ICTY to be transferred to Denmark to serve his sentence. Seventeen other individuals are currently serving their sentences in other states: Radislav Krstic in United Kingdom; Predrag Banovic in France; Dusko Sikirica and Mitar Vasiljevic in Austria; Dusko Tadic and Dragoljub Kunarac in Germany; Darko Mrđa, Stevan Todorovic, Drago Josipovic and Vladimir [antic in Spain; Zoran Vukovic, Radomir Kovac and Dragan Obrenovic in Norway; Goran Jelisic in Italy; Biljana Plavsic in Sweden; and Hazim Delic and Esad Lan`o in Finland.