ICTY convicts six Bosnian Croats: Six accused on trial for forcibly displacing and murdering Muslims and other non-Croats during the Bosnian conflict in the early 1990s, were found guilty today for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICTY judges held the leaders engaged in a joint criminal enterprise in an effort to create a “Greater Croatia.” The tribunal handed down prison sentences ranging from 10 to 25 years, with former prime minister Jadranko Prlic receiving the longest. The five other convicted wartime leaders are former defence minister Bruno Stojic, former militia heads Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petkovic, former military policy commander Valentin Coric, and former head of prisoner facilities Berislav Pusic. All six are expected to appeal. (For additional information on this topic, please click here.)
Bensouda fires back at claims ICC targeting Africa because of race: ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda responded sharply to accusations the court’s investigations were discriminately targeting African states at a 28 May UN meeting in New York. Bensouda argued that the AU’s charges that the ICC choose cases on the basis of race wrongly shifted the focus of the ICC indictments and the protection of the Court from victims to the perpetrators. Bensouda said the AU’s stance insulted the thousands of African victims subject to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. She vowed the ICC would remain politically independent and impartial. The Prosecutor’s statements came one day after the AU adopted a resolution urging the ICC to refer back to Kenya the cases of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto. (For additional information on this topic, please 1. click here, and 2. click here).
Witness testifies Mladic “directly involved” in Srebrenica attacks: Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic’s trial continued at the ICTY with testimony from lieutenant colonel Mirko Trivic. Trivic claimed he met with Mladic in Srebrenica in July 1995, and that Mladic gave him orders to prepare for an offensive on the UN protected co-operative. A witness testified the previous week that he personally watched the murder of five Muslims and observed piles of bodies around Srebrenica that same month. Mladic is on trial for genocide, crimes against humanity, and taking international peacekeepers hostage.
UN Human Rights Council plans urgent debate on Syria: The Council’s three-week session opened on Monday with a recommendation that the Syrian government’s human rights violations be referred to the ICC for prosecution. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, voiced her concern for the safety of civilians, citing reports of aerial attacks in residential areas and the targeting of schools and hospitals. Present Syrian Ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui called these charges unfounded and challenged the Council to provide proof of such violations. Ambassador Hamoui claimed the focus on his country was the result of bias and impartiality to rebel troops. U.S., Turkey, and Qatar diplomats nonetheless persuaded the Council to hold a second urgent debate to focus on the Syria civil war. The debate is scheduled for today, 29 May 2013.
Death penalty for ICT criminals to be carried out by August: The execution of three war criminals in Bangladesh is expected by July or August of this year, according to Minister of Information Hasanul Haq Inu. Two top leaders and a former Jamaat activist were found guilty by the ICT for crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War. The criminal appeals should conclude by June.
STL’s investigation of 2005 bombing to move quickly and carefully: On 14 May 14 2013, STL officials and the NGO Justice Without Frontiers met to discuss the on-going investigation into the 2005 bombing that killed 23 people, including former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. The STL vowed to move the investigation along quickly to help the victims. The NGO stated this would be done in a “careful” manner to avoid leaks of confidential information.
Post by: Anna Mumford
