Melika Murtezić, judge of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, yesterday pronounced a sentence against Šejla Turkovic, wife of Zijad Turković, leader of criminal organization  (he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for multiple executions, international drug trafficking and theft of 2.5 million KM from the Sarajevo airport).

Serious threats

On grounds of the attack on lawyer Izet Baždarević, Šejla Turković was conditionally sentenced to three months in prison with a one-year probation period. The sentence will not be executed provided that she does not commit another criminal offense in the next 12 months. Also, under this sentence, Šejla Turković is obliged to pay 200 KM for court expenses, no later than 30 days from the day the judgement is rendered final. Šejla Turković is charged with jeopardizing the safety of lawyer Izet Baždarević from Sarajevo, because she made serious threats against him outside the courtroom number 4 in the Court building on 23 September 2011. On that occasion, Turković approached Baždarević and shouted at him saying that he was a criminal and accusing him of instructing a witness to testify against her husband. Šejla Turković’s threats that she would get revenge on him and kill him together with his family, as referred to in the indictment against her, were taken seriously by Baždarević who was left with a feeling of fear and personal jeopardy. In the reasoning of the judgment, judge Murtezić pointed out that the prosecution proved the allegations from the indictment by means of material evidence and examination of witnesses.

Prosecutor Knežević: offense was proved

- The Court fully accepted the testimony of the injured party. Some of the allegations in the indictment were confirmed by witnesses Nataša Pejaković and Alen Nakić. Video surveillance footage clearly shows that the accused threatened and pointed finger at the injured party, and that he, with his hand on his chest, explained that he did not instruct witnesses - explained Murtezić. Prosecutor Jasminka Knežević, who replaced her colleague Suada Pašić who was transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH at the end of proceedings, gave a brief statement to "Dnevni avaz" in which she said that she was somewhat dissatisfied with the verdict. - The sentence could be more severe. At the moment, I cannot tell you whether we are going to appeal the verdict because this will be decided by Šeila Heljić, head of our department - said Knežević. Also, judge Murtezić said that upon deciding on the sentence the Court took into account the mitigating circumstances, such as the fact that the accused is mother of a minor child and that the injured party did not seek prosecution of Šejla Turković.

Judge Melika Murtezić during yesterday’s pronouncement of judgement (photo: S. Saletović)

She did not appear

- The Court is of the opinion that the sentence is sufficient in terms of discouraging the accused from committing another criminal offense, and that the injured party received some sort of compensation. On the other hand, the Court found no aggravating circumstances – said judge Murtezić. After the hearing at the Municipal Court in Sarajevo we ran into defense attorney Izet Baždarević. Yet, he declined to comment on the verdict. Šejla Turković and her defense attorney Fahrija Karkin did not appear at the pronouncement of the judgment yesterday.

Baždarević: No comment

He represented a witness against Turković

Lawyer Baždarević was involved in the proceedings against the leader of the criminal organization Zijad Turković and his accomplices since he represented the defendant Hajrudin Memović who was in charge of hiding evidence which could lead to the discovery of the murder of Mithat Mekić and his pregnant unmarried wife Lucia Salas-Cortez. Memović made a plea agreement with the prosecution and was sentenced to five years in prison, but he agreed to testify about Turković’s atrocities before the court, which he eventually did.