Untitled

Podujevo 1999 – Beyond Reasonable Doubtedly murdered several people and thus committed the act pursuant to Article47 Para 2 Item 6 of the Socialist Republic of Serbia Criminal Code. DefendantsCvjetan and Demirović were arrested and interrogated on 24 May1999 before the Investigative Judge from the Prokuplje District Court, MijatBajović. Because of the gravity of this case, the presence of a Defence Attorneywas mandatory during the first interrogation. Because of this, InvestigativeJudge Mijat Bajović hired an ex officio Attorney Dragutin Stankovićto defend Cvjetan Saša. In the record from the interrogation of defendantCvjetan Saša, the presence of Attorney Dragutin Stanković was twice registered.The same day the interrogation took place, 24 May 1999, AttorneyStanković signed a note proving that he received the Investigation Orderand Detention Order for defendant Cvjetan Saša. The second defendant,Dejan Demirović, was interrogated after Saša Cvjetan. Attorney DragutinStanković did not attend the interrogation of Dejan Demirović and he wasnot his Defence Counsellor because, as Judge Bajović said, he could notbear to listen anymore to the details of such a horrible crime. Because ofthis, Judge Bajović brought another Attorney, Živorad Šubaranović, whowas the ex officio Defence Counsellor for Dejan Demirović and who signeda note on 24 March 1999 proving that he received the Investigation andDetention Order for his client. Both Attorneys received fees from the Courtbudget and it was registered in the Court documents.In this interrogation, Cvjetan Saša completely admitted that he participatedin the execution of 14 women, children, and one old man of Albanianethnic background, which happened on 28 March 1999 in a yard of onehouse in Podujevo.Suspension of InvestigationThe Prokuplje District Court, through its Trial Panel presided by the Chairmanof the Court, Judge Branislav . Niketić, made a ruling (Kv. 35/99)on 16 June 1999 by which it suspended the investigation and terminatedthe detention against Cvjetan Saša and Demirović Dejan. On this day theywere both released. Regardless of Cvjetan’s admission of guilt, the Courtstated that there was no evidence that he committed the crime since hewas participating in the cleansing of area and on this occasion he ran intoa group of people in which a person suspected to be a member of the ter-353