http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/12/02/bosnia.warcrimes/index.html
Bosnian Serb jailed for massacre
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The UN war crimes tribunal sentenced a Bosnian Serb officer involved in the 1995 massacre of thousands of Muslims at Srebrenica to 27 years in prison.
Captain Momir Nikolic, 48, pleaded guilty in May to one count of crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors dropped four other charges in return for his guilty plea and his willingness to testify against his superiors for the worst atrocity against civilians since World War II. The defense had asked for a 10-year sentence, while prosecutors sought a 15-20 year sentence.
But presiding Judge Liu Dagun said that the sentence was insufficient.
"Neither sentence adequately reflects the totality of the criminal conduct for which Momir Nikolic has been convicted,'' the judge told the court Tuesday.
The Srebrenica massacre was "committed with a level of brutality and depravity not seen previously in the conflict in former Yugoslavia,'' he added.
Srebrenica was declared a U.N. "safe haven" toward the end of Bosnia's 1992-95 war, and thousands of Muslims flocked there to escape Serb attacks.
But Bosnian Serb troops later overran the town, rounding up and executing men and boys. Some 8,000 Muslims were believed killed in the massacre. The remains of half of the victims have been found in various mass graves in the area.
Nikolic, a former teacher, ran security and intelligence operations for the Bratunac Brigade, said he was present at army meetings when plans to execute Muslim men were openly discussed.
He told the trial of ex-army commanders Vidoje Blagojevic and Dragan Jokic in September that the Srebrenica massacre order came from the highest Bosnian Serbian political and military authorities.
He linked the atrocity to The Hague's most-wanted men, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic and military commander Ratko Mladic -- both accused of responsibility for the Srebrenica massacre.
Judges in The Hague last week began hearing an appeal by Bosnian Serb Gen. Radislav Krstic of his 46-year prison term for leading the Srebrenica massacre.
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is also on trail at the U.N. court for genocide in Bosnia.
Bosnian Serb jailed for massacre
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The UN war crimes tribunal sentenced a Bosnian Serb officer involved in the 1995 massacre of thousands of Muslims at Srebrenica to 27 years in prison.
Captain Momir Nikolic, 48, pleaded guilty in May to one count of crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors dropped four other charges in return for his guilty plea and his willingness to testify against his superiors for the worst atrocity against civilians since World War II. The defense had asked for a 10-year sentence, while prosecutors sought a 15-20 year sentence.
But presiding Judge Liu Dagun said that the sentence was insufficient.
"Neither sentence adequately reflects the totality of the criminal conduct for which Momir Nikolic has been convicted,'' the judge told the court Tuesday.
The Srebrenica massacre was "committed with a level of brutality and depravity not seen previously in the conflict in former Yugoslavia,'' he added.
Srebrenica was declared a U.N. "safe haven" toward the end of Bosnia's 1992-95 war, and thousands of Muslims flocked there to escape Serb attacks.
But Bosnian Serb troops later overran the town, rounding up and executing men and boys. Some 8,000 Muslims were believed killed in the massacre. The remains of half of the victims have been found in various mass graves in the area.
Nikolic, a former teacher, ran security and intelligence operations for the Bratunac Brigade, said he was present at army meetings when plans to execute Muslim men were openly discussed.
He told the trial of ex-army commanders Vidoje Blagojevic and Dragan Jokic in September that the Srebrenica massacre order came from the highest Bosnian Serbian political and military authorities.
He linked the atrocity to The Hague's most-wanted men, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic and military commander Ratko Mladic -- both accused of responsibility for the Srebrenica massacre.
Judges in The Hague last week began hearing an appeal by Bosnian Serb Gen. Radislav Krstic of his 46-year prison term for leading the Srebrenica massacre.
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is also on trail at the U.N. court for genocide in Bosnia.
