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The defendants in court with their lawyers. Photo: Bosnian state court.

The Bosnian state court on Thursday convicted Dragan Marjanovic, Sasa Gavranovc, Vitomir Devic, Zoran Sljuka and Dragomir Kezunovic of taking 28 Bosniak civilians from the Teslic police station and Pribinic prison on the night between June 17 and 18, 1992 to Mount Borje, where they were all killed.

The court sentenced Marjanovic, Gavranovc, Devic and Sljuka to 17 years in prison each, and Kezunovic to 14 years in prison.

According to the charges, Marjanovic was the commander of a platoon of the Bosnian Serb Army Teslic Brigade’s military police, while the other defendants were all members of the platoon.

They were all found guilty of crimes against humanity.

The court found that Marjanovic knew about the order from his superiors to kill the civilians, and had his military policemen commit the crime and participate in efforts to hide the bodies in a pre-prepared pit.

The ruling said that there was sufficient evidence to find that Gavranovic, Devic and Sljuka participated in the killings personally, but although it was unclear whether Kezunovic killed anyone, he “assisted the killings”.

Presiding judge Vesna Jesenkovic said that the defendants did not orchestrate the crime, but without their assistance, it would not have been committed.

“If it were not for the defendants’ participation, those who had come up with the plan to commit the killings would have been left alone in their intentions,” said Jesenkovic.

The verdict can be appealed.