This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/world/europe/6-bosnian-croats-convicted-of-killing-muslims-in-92-95-war.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 6 Bosnian Croats Convicted of Killing Muslims During War | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| PARIS — Six Bosnian Croats were found guilty on Wednesday of persecuting and murdering Muslim civilians during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. The United Nations tribunal that tried the six former fighters said the crimes were part of an “ethnic cleansing” campaign in Bosnia that was planned and coordinated by the leaders of neighboring Croatia. | PARIS — Six Bosnian Croats were found guilty on Wednesday of persecuting and murdering Muslim civilians during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. The United Nations tribunal that tried the six former fighters said the crimes were part of an “ethnic cleansing” campaign in Bosnia that was planned and coordinated by the leaders of neighboring Croatia. |
| The men were sentenced to prison terms of 10 years to 25 years. The verdict was the Yugoslavia tribunal’s most direct finding so far on the role of the Croatian government in the war in Bosnia. | The men were sentenced to prison terms of 10 years to 25 years. The verdict was the Yugoslavia tribunal’s most direct finding so far on the role of the Croatian government in the war in Bosnia. |
| The court’s judgment was more than 2,600 pages. A summary that was read aloud in court did not provide many details, but it said the president of Croatia at the time, Franjo Tudjman, and his defense minister, Gojko Susak, were part of a “joint criminal enterprise” that led to the persecution, abuse, rape and killing of Muslims and ethnic Serbs in eight Bosnian provinces in 1992 and 1993. Mr. Tudjman and Mr. Susak have since died. | The court’s judgment was more than 2,600 pages. A summary that was read aloud in court did not provide many details, but it said the president of Croatia at the time, Franjo Tudjman, and his defense minister, Gojko Susak, were part of a “joint criminal enterprise” that led to the persecution, abuse, rape and killing of Muslims and ethnic Serbs in eight Bosnian provinces in 1992 and 1993. Mr. Tudjman and Mr. Susak have since died. |
| “These crimes were not committed in a random manner by a few undisciplined soldiers,” the presiding judge, Jean-Claude Antonetti said, reading the summary. Rather, he said, they were part of a planned military campaign to force Muslims out of the mixed-population areas of western Bosnia, leaving them populated only by Croats. | “These crimes were not committed in a random manner by a few undisciplined soldiers,” the presiding judge, Jean-Claude Antonetti said, reading the summary. Rather, he said, they were part of a planned military campaign to force Muslims out of the mixed-population areas of western Bosnia, leaving them populated only by Croats. |
| During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that the Tudjman government had sent money, vehicles, weapons and senior military officers to run the operations in Bosnia, acts the government had repeatedly denied. | During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that the Tudjman government had sent money, vehicles, weapons and senior military officers to run the operations in Bosnia, acts the government had repeatedly denied. |
| In Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, the prime minister, Zoran Milanovic, said the tribunal’s judgment “does not correspond with the truth,” adding that he hoped it would be set right on appeal. | In Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, the prime minister, Zoran Milanovic, said the tribunal’s judgment “does not correspond with the truth,” adding that he hoped it would be set right on appeal. |
| One of the lead prosecutors, Kenneth Scott, said he was pleased with the verdict. “All six men were convicted of very serious crimes, and the judgment clearly established the role of Tudjman and other senior Croats,” Mr. Scott said. “This is the part of the Bosnian war that was least known internationally.” | One of the lead prosecutors, Kenneth Scott, said he was pleased with the verdict. “All six men were convicted of very serious crimes, and the judgment clearly established the role of Tudjman and other senior Croats,” Mr. Scott said. “This is the part of the Bosnian war that was least known internationally.” |
| The ruling comes at an awkward moment for Croatia, which will become a member of the European Union on July 1 and has been trying to leave its past behind. Western countries have tended to focus more on the excesses of Bosnian Serbs and the Serbian government of the time, led by Slobodan Milosevic; they regarded the Tudjman government in Croatia as more reasonable. Late last year, two Croatian generals who were accused of atrocities against Serbs were acquitted by an appeals panel, an outcome that stunned many experts and was called “grotesque” by one of the two dissenting judges. But the verdicts Wednesday put a new spotlight on Croatia’s record in the war. | The ruling comes at an awkward moment for Croatia, which will become a member of the European Union on July 1 and has been trying to leave its past behind. Western countries have tended to focus more on the excesses of Bosnian Serbs and the Serbian government of the time, led by Slobodan Milosevic; they regarded the Tudjman government in Croatia as more reasonable. Late last year, two Croatian generals who were accused of atrocities against Serbs were acquitted by an appeals panel, an outcome that stunned many experts and was called “grotesque” by one of the two dissenting judges. But the verdicts Wednesday put a new spotlight on Croatia’s record in the war. |
| Mr. Milosevic and Mr. Tudjman met in early 1991 and agreed to divide up Bosnia, the former Yugoslav republic with a mixed population of ethnic Serbs, ethnic Croats and Bosnian Muslims in which no group was dominant. Serbia and Croatia were to divide up the country. That plan never came to fruition, as Serbia and Croatia went to war with each other. But at least 100,000 Bosnians were killed and many more were uprooted and abused in brutal campaigns to create ethnically homogeneous regions within Bosnia. | Mr. Milosevic and Mr. Tudjman met in early 1991 and agreed to divide up Bosnia, the former Yugoslav republic with a mixed population of ethnic Serbs, ethnic Croats and Bosnian Muslims in which no group was dominant. Serbia and Croatia were to divide up the country. That plan never came to fruition, as Serbia and Croatia went to war with each other. But at least 100,000 Bosnians were killed and many more were uprooted and abused in brutal campaigns to create ethnically homogeneous regions within Bosnia. |
| Prosecutors in The Hague have been aided by the extensive records kept by Mr. Tudjman of his conversations, meetings and telephone calls. The tribunal received transcripts covering crucial periods of the war after Mr. Tudjman’s death in 1999. | Prosecutors in The Hague have been aided by the extensive records kept by Mr. Tudjman of his conversations, meetings and telephone calls. The tribunal received transcripts covering crucial periods of the war after Mr. Tudjman’s death in 1999. |
| The trial began in 2006 and lasted more than 465 days, with testimony from more than 200 witnesses. The judges then took 27 months to complete their deliberations, largely because of tensions and disagreements among the three judges, who are from France, Hungary and Switzerland. Details of their separate opinions were not immediately available. | The trial began in 2006 and lasted more than 465 days, with testimony from more than 200 witnesses. The judges then took 27 months to complete their deliberations, largely because of tensions and disagreements among the three judges, who are from France, Hungary and Switzerland. Details of their separate opinions were not immediately available. |
| Not all of the defendants are expected to appeal, lawyers at the court said. Berislav Pusic, who was responsible for war prisoners, received the shortest sentence, 10 years, and with credit for time already served, he may be released next year. Jadranko Prlic, the political leader of the self-proclaimed independent Bosnian Croat region, received the longest sentence, 25 years. Also convicted were Bruno Stojic, Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petkovic, who were sentenced to 20 years each, and Valentin Coric, sentenced to 16 years. | Not all of the defendants are expected to appeal, lawyers at the court said. Berislav Pusic, who was responsible for war prisoners, received the shortest sentence, 10 years, and with credit for time already served, he may be released next year. Jadranko Prlic, the political leader of the self-proclaimed independent Bosnian Croat region, received the longest sentence, 25 years. Also convicted were Bruno Stojic, Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petkovic, who were sentenced to 20 years each, and Valentin Coric, sentenced to 16 years. |