Case No. IT-06-90-T

Date: 15 April 2011

UNITED NATIONS

International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 Original: English

IN TRIAL CHAMBER I Before: Judge Alphons Orie, Presiding Judge Uldis inis Judge Elizabeth Gwaunza Registrar: Mr John Hocking Judgement of: 15 April 2011

PROSECUTOR

v.

ANTE GOTOVINA IVAN ERMAK

MLADEN MARKA

PUBLIC ______________________________________________________________________

JUDGEMENT

VOLUME II OF II ______________________________________________________________________ Office of the Prosecutor Counsel for Ante Gotovina Mr Alan Tieger Mr Luka Mieti Mr Stefan Waespi Mr Gregory Kehoe Ms Prashanti Mahindaratne Mr Payam Akhavan Ms Katrina Gustafson Mr Edward Russo Counsel for Ivan ermak Mr Saklaine Hedaraly Mr Ryan Carrier Mr Steven Kay, QC Ms Gillian Higgins Counsel for Mladen Marka Mr Goran Mikulii Mr Tomislav Kuzmanovi

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Table of contents

General abbreviations 7

1. Introduction 9

2. Sources and use of evidence 13

3. The Accused 37

3.1 Ante Gotovina and the Split Military District 37

3.1.1 Position of Ante Gotovina within the Split Military District 37

3.1.2 Ante Gotovina's powers as a commander 52

3.2 Ivan ermak and the Knin garrison 73

3.3 Mladen Marka and the Special Police 86

4. Crimes committed in municipalities (July-September 1995) 105

4.1 Murders 105

4.1.1 Overview of the charges 105

4.1.2 Benkovac municipality 106

4.1.3 Civljane municipality 108

4.1.4 Donji Lapac municipality 108

4.1.5 Drni municipality 115

4.1.6 Ervenik municipality 115

4.1.7 Graac municipality 129

4.1.8 Kistanje municipality 142

4.1.9 Knin municipality 168

4.1.10 Liane Ostrovike municipality 277

4.1.11 Lisii municipality 277

4.1.12 Nadvoda municipality 277

4.1.13 Obrovac municipality 277

4.1.14 Oklaj municipality 278

4.1.15 Orli municipality 278

4.2 Destruction of Serb property and plunder of public or private Serb property 303

4.2.1 Overview of the charges 303

4.2.2 Benkovac municipality 318

4.2.3 Civljane municipality 330

4.2.4 Donji Lapac municipality 337

4.2.5 Drni municipality 365

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4.2.6 Ervenik municipality 367

4.2.7 Graac municipality 374

4.2.8 Kistanje municipality 408

4.2.9 Knin municipality 452

4.2.10 Liane Ostrovike municipality 523

4.2.11 Lisii municipality 523

4.2.12 Nadvoda municipality 523

4.2.13 Obrovac municipality 525

4.2.14 Oklaj municipality 528

4.2.15 Orli municipality 530

4.3 Inhumane acts and cruel treatment 568

4.3.1 Overview of the charges 568

4.3.2 Benkovac municipality 568

4.3.3 Civljane municipality 571

4.3.4 Donji Lapac municipality 571

4.3.5 Drni municipality 571

4.3.6 Ervenik municipality 571

4.3.7 Graac municipality 572

4.3.8 Kistanje municipality 577

4.3.9 Knin municipality 579

4.3.10 Liane Ostrovike municipality 590

4.3.11 Lisii municipality 590

4.3.12 Nadvoda municipality 590

4.3.13 Obrovac municipality 590

4.3.14 Oklaj municipality 590

4.3.15 Orli municipality 590

4.4 Unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian objects 594

4.4.1 Overview of the charges 594

4.4.2 General considerations 594

4.4.3 Knin town 603

4.4.4 Benkovac town 733

4.4.5 Graac town 751

4.4.6 Obrovac town 772

4.4.7 Donji Lapac town 777

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4.4.8 Strmica town 787

4.5 Deportation and forcible transfer 800

4.5.1 Overview of the charges 800

4.5.2 Serb evacuation plans 801

4.5.3 Deportation and forcible transfer in the Indictment municipalities 819

4.5.4 The persons who took refuge at the UN compound 850

4.5.5 Reception and collection centres 870

5. Legal findings on crimes 885

5.1 Violations of the laws or customs of war: general elements and jurisdictional requirements 885

5.1.1 Applicable law 885

5.1.2 Findings on armed conflict 888

5.2 Crimes against humanity: general elements and jurisdictional requirements 900

5.2.1 Applicable law 900

5.2.2 Legal findings 902

5.3 Murder 912

5.3.1 Applicable law 912

5.3.2 Legal findings 912

5.4 Deportation and forcible transfer 914

5.4.1 Applicable law 914

5.4.2 Legal findings 916

5.5 Wanton destruction 925

5.5.1 Applicable law 925

5.5.2 Legal findings 926

5.6 Plunder of public or private property 929

5.6.1 Applicable law 929

5.6.2 Legal findings 930

5.7 Inhumane acts and cruel treatment 934

5.7.1 Applicable law 934

5.7.2 Legal findings 935

5.8 Persecution 936

5.8.1 Applicable law 936

5.8.2 Legal findings 947

6. The liability of the Accused 983

6.1 Applicable law 983

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6.1.1 Joint criminal enterprise 983

6.1.2 Committing, planning, instigating, ordering, and aiding and abetting 986

6.1.3 Superior responsibility 989

6.2 The alleged objective and membership of a joint criminal enterprise 992

6.2.1 Overview of the charges 992

6.2.2 The Brioni meeting on 31 July 1995 and the preparation for Operation Storm 993

6.2.3 The policy of the Croatian political leadership with regard to the Serb minority and return of refugees and internally displaced persons 1006

6.2.4 Property laws 1034

6.2.5 Croatian investigatory policy 1054

6.2.6 The follow-up in relation to the incidents in Grubori and Ramljane on 25 and 26 August 1995 1119

6.2.7 Conclusion 1171

6.3 Ante Gotovinas liability 1178

6.3.1 Introduction 1178

6.3.2 Gotovinas command over Split Military District forces and his participation in planning their operational use 1178

6.3.3 Creating and supporting discriminatory policies against Serbs 1179

6.3.4 Disseminating information intended to cause the departure of Serbs 1179

6.3.5 Condoning, minimizing or failing to prevent or punish crimes committed by subordinates against Serbs 1179

6.3.6 Legal findings on Gotovinas liability 1198

6.4 Ivan ermaks liability 1202

6.4.1 Introduction 1202

6.4.2 ermaks control over and use of various forces 1202

6.4.3 Failure to prevent or punish crimes 1235

6.4.4 Disseminating information intended to cause the departure of Serbs 1247

6.4.5 Furthering violence against Serbs and a climate of fear among Serbs 1247

6.4.6 Creating and supporting discriminatory policies against Serbs 1249

6.4.7 Disseminating false information regarding crimes 1261

6.4.8 Legal findings on ermaks liability 1313

6.5 Mladen Markas liability 1316

6.5.1 Introduction 1316

6.5.2 Markas command of the Special Police 1316

6.5.3 Creating and supporting discriminatory policies against Serbs 1318

6.5.4 Disseminating information intended to cause the departure of Serbs 1319

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6.5.5 Condoning, minimizing or failing to prevent or punish crimes committed by subordinates against Serbs 1319

6.5.6 Legal findings on Markas liability 1322

7. Cumulative convictions 1328

8. Sentencing 1330

8.1 Law on sentencing 1330

8.2 Purpose of sentencing 1331

8.3 Sentencing factors 1332

8.3.1 Gravity of the offences and the totality of the culpable conduct 1332

8.3.2 Individual circumstances of Ante Gotovina and Mladen Marka 1335

8.3.3 General practice regarding the prison sentences in the courts of the former Yugoslavia 1337

8.3.4 Credit for the time served in custody 1338

8.4 Determination of sentences 1338

9. Disposition 1340

10. Partly dissenting opinion of Judge Uldis inis 1342

Appendices

A. Procedural history 1344

B. Table of cases with abbreviations 1373

C. Confidential Appendix 1378

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4.5 Deportation and forcible transfer

4.5.1 Overview of the charges

1509. The Indictment charges the Accused with deportation and inhumane acts

(forcible transfer) as crimes against humanity and as underlying acts of the crime

against humanity of persecution from at least July 1995 to about 30 September 1995, in

all the Indictment municipalities.

1510. According to the Indictment, members of the Krajina Serb population were

forc