Conviction of 5 Bosnian Serb military officials upheld by UN court


The conviction of five senior Bosnian Serb military officials has been upheld by the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY).

The United Nations court issued its final decision on Friday.

The crimes were committed in July 1995 by Bosnian Serb forces following the takeover of the protected areas of Srebrenica and Žepa.

Some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered in Srebrenica in 1995 in what has been described as "the largest massacre on European soil since the founding of the UN".

Vujadin Popović and Ljubiša Beara, former security officers with the Bosnian Serb army, were again found guilty of genocide and their life sentences affirmed.

Drago Nikolić, convicted for aiding and abetting genocide, also had his 35 year sentence upheld.

Meanwhile, Radivoje Miletić found guilty of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war saw his sentence reduced from 19 to 18 years of jail.
The Tribunal has indicted 20 individuals for crimes committed in Srebrenica.


SOURCE: Jocelyne Sambira, United Nations.