FHP-OV-003 FUND: Court documents from trials of members of Vukovar Territorial Defence and the Leva Supoderica paramilitary unit for war crimes against prisoners of war

PERIOD: 1997 – 2006

PRIMARY SOURCES: District Court in Sombor (Serbia), Military Court in Belgrade (Serbia), Serbian Ministry of Interior Agency for Fight Against Organized Crime, District Court in Novi Sad (Serbia), County Court in Zagreb (Croatia), Belgrade District Court War Crimes Chamber (Republic of Serbia)

VOLUME AND MEDIUM:  8 archival boxes

CONTENT:  The Fund contains documents from trials of members of Vukovar Territorial Defence, which was part of the then Yugoslav People’s Army, who killed a total of 192 persons at Ovčara Farm near Vukovar in Croatia, in violation of international humanitarian law and in violation of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, thus committing a war crime against prisoners of war.

The Fund contains court documents (indictment, transcripts of trials, records from examinations of the accused and witnesses, official notes, etc.), reports by court experts, the UN Expert Commission’s Final Report, a list of identified mortal remains exhumed at Ovčara, media reports, photos, correspondence with HLC, etc.

ORGANIZATION SYSTEM:   Chronologically, by date

Additions to  the Fund are expected

LANGUAGE:  Serbian, Croatian

LIST OF CONTENTS:

Box no. 1

January 9^th, 1997 – January 18^th, 2006

• Court documents of the District Court in Sombor, Republic of Serbia
• Court documents of the Military Court in Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
• Documents of the Serbian Ministry of Interior Agency for Fight Against Organized Crime
• Court documents of the District Court in Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia
• Court documents of the Zagreb County Court, Republic of Croatia
• Court documents of the Belgrade District Court War Crimes Chamber, Republic of Serbia

Box no. 2

1991 – 2005

• Report of the Government Commission on Humanitarian Issues and Missing Persons, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
• Court experts’ report
• United Nations Expert Commission’s Final Report
• Mass gravesite – Ovčara
• List of identified mortal remain exhumed at Ovčara
• Media reports, photos, etc.

Box no. 3

December 4^th, 2003 – October 27^th, 2004

• District Court in Belgrade, War Crimes Chamber – indictment filed on December 4^th, 2003
• Transcripts of the main trial from March 9^th, 2004 until October 27^th, 2004.

Box no. 4

October 28^th, 2004 – December 17^th, 2004

• District Court in Belgrade,  War Crimes Chamber – transcripts of the main trial from October 28^th, 2004 until December 17^th, 2004.

Box no. 5

January 24^th, 2005 – April 22^nd, 2005.

• District Court in Belgrade,  War Crimes Chamber – transcripts from the main trial from January 24^th, 2005 until April 22^nd, 2005.

Box no. 6

May 23^rd, 2005 – July 8^th, 2005

• District Court in Belgrade,  War Crimes Chamber – transcripts of the main trial from May 23^rd, 2005 until July 8^th, 2005

Box no. 7

September 12^th, 2005 – October 18^th, 2006

• District Court in Belgrade,  War Crimes Chamber – transcripts from the main trial on September 12^th, 2005, the verdict from December 12^th, 2005, and the Judgment of the Supreme Court on October 18^th, 2006.

Box no. 8

• Confidential – closed to public