Dušan Knežević (war criminal)

Dušan Knežević (born 17 June 1967), sometimes known as Duča, is a Bosnian Serb who was found guilty by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Court of BiH) of murder, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, other inhumane acts, and persecution – constituting crimes against humanity under the criminal code of Bosnia and Herzegovina – committed at the Omarska and Keraterm concentration camps in Prijedor, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War.

Knežević was born, raised and worked as a waiter in and around the town of Prijedor. In late May 1992 the Omarska camp was opened. It held almost exclusively non-Serb detainees from the surrounding districts who had been rounded up during the ethnic cleansing of central Bosanska Krajina. According to findings by the Court of BiH during his trial and appeal, between 28 May and 21 August 1992, despite not having an official position within either camp, Knežević had sufficient authority to enter or leave either camp at will. The Omarska camp was closed in late August following international outcry in the wake of a visit and reporting by British journalist Ed Vulliamy.

Knežević was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in February 1995, constituting one of the "most important indictments" made by the ICTY. On 18 May 2002, he surrendered to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina and was transferred into ICTY custody the same day. He made his first appearance before the court on 24 May, when he entered pleas of not guilty to all five counts under the indictment. On 7 April 2006, the ICTY appeals chamber decided to transfer the prosecution of Knežević and his Omarska co-accused Željko Mejakić, Dušan Fuštar and Momčilo Gruban to the Court of BiH so that the men could be tried in the country where the alleged offences had occurred. On the same day, Peter Kidd, the prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued an indictment charging Knežević, Mejakić, Fuštar and Gruban with crimes against humanity, which was confirmed a week later. All four accused pleaded not guilty on 28 July. On 20 December 2006 the trial began, but the court separated Fuštar from the case on 17 April 2008 as he wished to enter into a plea agreement. The trial of Knežević, Mejakić and Gruban continued and the court rendered its first instance verdict on 30 May 2008. It found all three guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced Knežević to imprisonment for 31 years. On 16 July 2009, the appellate division of the Court of BiH affirmed his conviction and sentence.