The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejected the appeal of the Prosecutor's Office and upheld the first-instance verdict acquitting Miodrag Josipovic and other defendants, former Bosnian Serb police officers, in the case of the charges for Srebrenica genocide, the lawyers confirmed for the Balkan Research Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH).

Dragan Gotovac, the defense attorney of the first defendant Miodrag Josipovic, and Aleksandar Lazarevic, the defense attorney of the third defendant Dragomir Vasic, said that the prosecution's appeal was rejected and the final verdict was passed more than a month ago.

“The verdict was sent on July 15, and the defense (team) received it on July 22 and 23,” according to Gotovac.

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed that the verdict was passed but could not provide further information as it is not known whether all parties have received the copy of the final verdict.

In the absence of evidence, in November of last year, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina acquitted Miodrag Josipovic, Branimir Tesic, Dragomir Vasic, Danilo Zoljic and Radomir Pantix of the charges of participating in the partial extermination of the Bosniak population of in the eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, as BIRN BiH previously reported.

“The prosecution did not prove the presence of the intention of the defendants towards the extermination,” said then the chairwoman of the Council Minka Kreho, adding that the presence of the police in certain locations was not enough for conviction.

All the defendants were high-ranking police officers in the eastern towns of Bratunac and Zvornik.

Vasic was acquitted of the charges of committing genocide and the other four were acquitted of the aiding genocide charges.

The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier filed an appeal with the Appellate Council, requesting the annulment of the first-instance verdict and the scheduling of the main trial where all the evidence would be presented.