Verdicts for setting the American embassy on fire, details of trial: Four sentenced, three released!
The prosecution and the defense will have the right to complain to the new verdict
VERDICT! Djordje Tomin, Nikola Kosanovic, and Filip Backovic are cleared of all charges for setting the American Embassy in Belgrade on fire, and Dragan Marinkov, Marko Novitovic, Dejan Vuckovic are sentenced to 6 months of parole sentence, and Milan Toman to 5 months, stated today in the verdict.
The indictees received a prison sentence because they "caused a general danger to the life and body of people and property of a larger scale" in front of the United States Embassy.
When the sentence was given it was stated that the time they spent in prison counts and that they mustn't commit any criminal act in the next two years.
They are charged with causing general danger for the life and body, and the court stated that they were aware of their actions.
WHY DID THEY GET 6 MONTHS OF PRISON, NO MORE, NO LESS?
The court gave them 6 months because they are all young, and considering the time, their imprisonment, current circumstances in their lives and personal tragedies.
The three were released without sentences because they were no proof that they committed any criminal act, but it was just determined that they were present, but they didn't do anything.
Because of the stones, throwing of wooden boards and causing damage, American Embassy filed no legal-property demand, but they reported the expenses of the repair - 400.000 dollars, and an additional 500.000 dollars.
The prosecution and the defense will have the right to complain to the new verdict.
THE DEFENSE LAWYER IS NOT PLEASED
The defense lawyer Zelimir Cabrilo said that he was not happy for multiple reasons after the verdict, but before everything, that the case didn't receive political dimension, only criminal.
- The procedure was started too late, 4 years after the setting on fire. The defendants were released on probation, and only for throwing stones, and not for the act of setting on fire. In the end, political responsibility was not established, which would be the best for Serbia - Cabrilo listed shortcomings in the procedure, and he didn't want to reveal if he will file complain to the verdict.
Zelimir Cabrilo said that all the indictees received incredibly low probation sentenced as if they committed some minor traffic violation.
- I have no other explanation, but that the court tried to avoid the sentence where they are freed from all charges because the court would have to pay at least 1 million dinars for each of them - that would be 12, 13 million dinars - said Cabrilo two years ago.
THE PROCEDURE SO FAR
To recall, the prosecution in the closing statement proposed to the court that the accused be found guilty and convicted under the law of a serious criminal offense against general security, while the defense sought the acquittal.
After the first trial, the defendants were sentenced from six months to 10 months imprisonment by the part of the verdict, while for several accused the Appellate Court confirmed the sentences for violent behavior.
They were trialed that they came after the rally "Kosovo is Serbia" in front of the National Assembly, around 18:30h, to the American Embassy and that they threw stones, torches and other objects and that they caused fire where Zoran Vujovic from Novi Sad lost his life.
Embassy asked for no compensation, nor did the Vujovic family.
As for the police responsibility for security failures during and after the "Kosovo is Serbia" rally, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade issued an indictment against five police officers charged with criminal offenses in May this year for criminal acts against general security and abuse of authority.
The indictment was forwarded to the court on 8 May.
(Telegraf.co.uk / Sanja Ilic)