THREE PERSONS ACCUSED OF SMUGGLING OF PERSONS WITHIN BOSPORUS CODENAMED CASE ENTER INTO PLEA AGREEMENT ADMITTING GUILT

The sentence of imprisonment for a term of one (1) year has been proposed for each of the accused persons, along with the confiscation of unlawfully acquired material gain and the obligation to testify against other accused persons in the case codenamed Bosporus and, additionally, a fine has been proposed for one of the accused persons.

Three persons accused for the commission of the criminal offences of Smuggling of Persons (Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Organizing a Group or Association for the Purpose of Perpetrating the Criminal Offence of Smuggling of Migrants (Article 189a of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina), have signed a Plea Agreement in the presence on their defence attorney, thus fully admitting their responsibility for the commission of the criminal offences they are charged with by the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Pursuant to the Plea Agreement, the following sentences have been proposed against these accused persons:

1.   In relation to the accused Bejza Kara, born in 1963 in Velika Kladuša, the sentence of imprisonment for a term of one (1) year has been proposed which may be substituted with the community service under Article 43 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as confiscation of objects used in the perpetration of the criminal offence.

2.   In relation to the accused Edina Zelić, born in 1985 in Velika Kladuša, the sentence of imprisonment for a term of one (1) year has been proposed which may be substituted with the community service under Article 43 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as confiscation of objects used in the perpetration of the criminal offence and confiscation of the unlawfully acquired material gain in the amount of BAM 760.

3.   In relation to the accused Valentino Vidić, born in 1991 in Čapljina, the sentence of imprisonment for a term of one (1) year has been proposed which may be substituted with the community service under Article 43 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a fine in the amount of BAM 1000, confiscation of objects used in the perpetration of the criminal offence and confiscation of the unlawfully acquired material gain in the amount of BAM 507.

The accused persons have plead guilty in the early stage of the proceedings, and the proposed sentences are in accordance with the role and responsibility of these accused persons in the commission of the said criminal offence.

By virtue of this Plea Agreement, the accused persons have committed themselves to testifying in the case against other accused persons within the case codenamed Bosporus.

Having signed this Plea Agreement, these accused persons have waived their right to a trial and right to appeal to the Judgment pronounced by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the basis of this Plea Agreement. 

The Plea Agreements have been forwarded to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.