Yahoo – AFP,
Jan Hennop and Jo Biddle, 22 November 2017
The trial for Ratko Mladic, dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia," was the last before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia |
UN judges
on Wednesday sentenced former Bosnian Serbian commander Ratko Mladic to life in
prison after finding him guilty of genocide and war crimes in the brutal
Balkans conflicts over two decades ago.
But the man
dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia" was not present in court to hear the
verdict, having been dragged out of the courtroom after loudly accusing the
judges of "lying". And his son and lawyers told reporters he planned
to appeal.
Judges at
the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found
Mladic guilty on 10 counts including genocide, war crimes and crimes against
humanity such as murder and deportation. But he was acquitted of one charge of
genocide in certain municipalities.
About
100,000 people were killed and 2.2 million displaced in the 1992-1995 war when
ethnic rivalries tore Yugoslavia apart.
Judges said
"ruthless" Bosnian Serb forces under Mladic's command carried out
"mass executions" and showed "little or no respect for human
life or dignity."
"For
having committed these crimes, the chamber sentences Mr Ratko Mladic to life
imprisonment," presiding judge Alphons Orie said as applause broke out in
the public gallery.
He added
that the crimes were "amongst the most heinous known to humankind".
A smiling
Mladic, 74, who once left a trail of fear across Bosnia, gave a thumbs-up as he
entered the courtroom in The Hague dressed in a grey suit and red tie.
But in
dramatic scenes he was later ordered to be removed, after accusing the judges
of lying, when they refused to adjourn the hearing because of his high blood
pressure.
"They
are lying, you are lying. I don't feel good," he shouted, as two UN
security guards hustled him into a nearby room to watch the rest of the
verdict.
Tears in court
Relatives
of people killed in the Bosnian war celebrated Ratko Mladic's
conviction for
genocide at a memorial cemetery near near Srebrenica
|
Tears in court
Wednesday's
verdict was long awaited by tens of thousands of victims across the bitterly
divided region.
Dozens
gathered early outside the courtroom, many clutching photos of loved ones who
died or are among the 7,000 still missing.
It was an
emotional day for victims, some of whom sobbed in the gallery as the judges
recalled brutal scenes of rape and murder. In Srebrenica there were tears of
joy.
"Mladic
will die in The Hague! I'm so happy that justice has been done!" said
Nedziba Salihovic, who lost her husband, father and son in the 1995 Srebrenica
massacre.
The court
found Mladic guilty of genocide in that northeastern town, where troops under
his command slaughtered almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys.
The
killings, in which the victims were marched away, shot in the back and dumped
in mass graves, was one of the darkest episodes in the conflict, and has been
called the worst atrocity on European soil since World War II.
Mladic
"intended to eliminate the Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica by killing men
and boys and forcibly removing the women, young children and some elderly
men," Orie said.
Munira
Subasic, president of the Mothers of Srebrenica association, said she was
"partially satisfied" with the verdict.
"It's
more than for (Radovan) Karadzic. But they didn't find him guilty for the
accusation of genocide in some villages," she said.
Karadzic
was sentenced to 40 years in March 2016 for similar charges, including the
Srebrenica genocide. He is appealing the sentence.
Edin
Halilovic, 18, whose grandfather died in Srebrenica, said it had been important
to attend the hearing. "My generation, and future generations, must never
forget what happened to our families."
Milestone for justice
Profile of Ratko Mladic
|
Milestone for justice
Chief
prosecutor Serge Brammertz said the verdict was a "milestone" for the
court and for international justice.
Mladic's
was the last genocide trial before the tribunal before it closes its doors on
December 31, having indicted 161 people since it was set up in 1993.
Praising
the victims as the only "true heroes," Brammertz insisted it was not
a verdict against the Serbian people.
"Mladic's
guilt is his and is alone," he said.
Mladic was
also found guilty of having "personally directed" a 44-month campaign
of sniping and shelling in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, in which 10,000 people
died.
And he was
convicted for taking more than 200 NATO military personnel hostage.
But defence
lawyers have denounced the trial as "political".
"This
sentence is unjust and contrary to the facts and we will fight it on appeal to
prove that this judgement is wrong," his son Darko Mladic told reporters.
"Mladic will die in The Hague! I'm so happy that justice has been done!" Srebrenica survivors hail life sentence handed to the "Butcher of Bosnia" https://t.co/lVxRESh4iA pic.twitter.com/Hsjbkmdo0W— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 22, 2017
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