UN war crimes judges on Thursday sentenced Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to 40 years in jail after finding him guilty of genocide and a slew of atrocities, including ethnic cleansing, during the 1990s Balkans conflict.
In a historic ruling judge O-Gon Kwon pronounced Karadzic guilty of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and nine other charges of murder, persecution, and hostage-taking.
The verdict saw Karadzic become the most high-profile figure convicted over the 1992-95 wars that tore Yugoslavia apart.
Karadzic, 70, was found guilty of 10 out of 11 charges relating to some of the worst crimes witnessed in Europe since World War II in a conflict which saw some 100,000 people killed and another 2.2 million displaced.
To the disappointment of victims' relatives Karadzic was acquitted on one genocide charge relating to atrocities in seven Bosnian towns and villages for insufficient evidence.
Here are the 11 charges contained in a 69-page indictment at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia:
1. GENOCIDE - Acquitted
Between March 31 and December 1992, Karadzic allegedly with others "planned, instigated, ordered and/or aided and abetted genocide" of Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croats to permanently remove them from territory claimed by the Bosnian Serbs across various municipalities.
2. GENOCIDE - Guilty
In July 1995, he began to implement a plan with others "to eliminate the Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica by killing the men and boys and forcibly removing the women, young children." Almost 8,000 men and boys were killed.
3. PERSECUTION - Guilty
Karadzic instigated, aided and abetted the persecution of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in 19 towns and villages by allowing forcible deportations, harassment, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence. The persecution allegedly included forced labour in detention camps and the use of human shields by Serb and Bosnian Serb forces.
4. EXTERMINATION - Guilty
Prosecutors say Karadzic knew "extermination" was "a possible consequence" of the campaign to get rid of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats "and willingly took that risk." This included the sniping and shelling during the 44-month siege of Sarajevo and the deaths in Srebrenica.
5. MURDER (as a crime against humanity) - Guilty
Karadzic played a key role in a joint criminal enterprise "to permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from Bosnian Serb-claimed territory" through acts of murder including in Sarajevo where some 10,000 people were killed, Srebrenica and other municipalities.
6. MURDER (as a war crime) - Guilty
Karadzic was found to have "organised and opportunistic killings" in direct violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention governing the rules of war.
7. DEPORTATION - Guilty
Karadzic knew that between March 1992 and November 1995, Serb forces and Bosnian Serbs "forcibly displaced Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from areas within the municipalities and within Srebrenica in which they were lawfully present."
8. INHUMANE ACTS - Guilty
Karadzic, along with others, targeted Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats through measures such as "arbitrary arrest and detention, harassment, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence, killing, and destruction of houses and cultural monuments" which forced them to "flee in fear" from their homes.
9. TERROR - Guilty
Between April 1992 and November 1995 Karadzic and others used the Sarajevo Forces to "spread terror" in the city through a military strategy of "sniping and shelling to kill, maim, wound and terrorise the civilian inhabitants."
10. UNLAWFUL ATTACKS - Guilty
The Sarajevo siege included indiscriminate and excessive attacks "which were disproportionate in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated."
11. TAKING OF HOSTAGES - Guilty
Between 26 May 1995 and 19 June 1995, Bosnian Serb Forces detained over 200 UN peacekeepers and military observers in various towns, including Pale, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Gorade, with Karadzic abetting the kidnappings to force NATO not to carry out air strikes against Bosnian Serb military targets.
UN war crimes judges on Thursday sentenced Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to 40 years in jail after finding him guilty of genocide and a slew of atrocities, including ethnic cleansing, during the 1990s Balkans conflict.
In a historic ruling judge O-Gon Kwon pronounced Karadzic guilty of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and nine other charges of murder, persecution, and hostage-taking.
The verdict saw Karadzic become the most high-profile figure convicted over the 1992-95 wars that tore Yugoslavia apart.
Karadzic, 70, was found guilty of 10 out of 11 charges relating to some of the worst crimes witnessed in Europe since World War II in a conflict which saw some 100,000 people killed and another 2.2 million displaced.
To the disappointment of victims’ relatives Karadzic was acquitted on one genocide charge relating to atrocities in seven Bosnian towns and villages for insufficient evidence.
Here are the 11 charges contained in a 69-page indictment at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia:
1. GENOCIDE – Acquitted
Between March 31 and December 1992, Karadzic allegedly with others “planned, instigated, ordered and/or aided and abetted genocide” of Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croats to permanently remove them from territory claimed by the Bosnian Serbs across various municipalities.
2. GENOCIDE – Guilty
In July 1995, he began to implement a plan with others “to eliminate the Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica by killing the men and boys and forcibly removing the women, young children.” Almost 8,000 men and boys were killed.
3. PERSECUTION – Guilty
Karadzic instigated, aided and abetted the persecution of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in 19 towns and villages by allowing forcible deportations, harassment, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence. The persecution allegedly included forced labour in detention camps and the use of human shields by Serb and Bosnian Serb forces.
4. EXTERMINATION – Guilty
Prosecutors say Karadzic knew “extermination” was “a possible consequence” of the campaign to get rid of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats “and willingly took that risk.” This included the sniping and shelling during the 44-month siege of Sarajevo and the deaths in Srebrenica.
5. MURDER (as a crime against humanity) – Guilty
Karadzic played a key role in a joint criminal enterprise “to permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from Bosnian Serb-claimed territory” through acts of murder including in Sarajevo where some 10,000 people were killed, Srebrenica and other municipalities.
6. MURDER (as a war crime) – Guilty
Karadzic was found to have “organised and opportunistic killings” in direct violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention governing the rules of war.
7. DEPORTATION – Guilty
Karadzic knew that between March 1992 and November 1995, Serb forces and Bosnian Serbs “forcibly displaced Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from areas within the municipalities and within Srebrenica in which they were lawfully present.”
8. INHUMANE ACTS – Guilty
Karadzic, along with others, targeted Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats through measures such as “arbitrary arrest and detention, harassment, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence, killing, and destruction of houses and cultural monuments” which forced them to “flee in fear” from their homes.
9. TERROR – Guilty
Between April 1992 and November 1995 Karadzic and others used the Sarajevo Forces to “spread terror” in the city through a military strategy of “sniping and shelling to kill, maim, wound and terrorise the civilian inhabitants.”
10. UNLAWFUL ATTACKS – Guilty
The Sarajevo siege included indiscriminate and excessive attacks “which were disproportionate in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.”
11. TAKING OF HOSTAGES – Guilty
Between 26 May 1995 and 19 June 1995, Bosnian Serb Forces detained over 200 UN peacekeepers and military observers in various towns, including Pale, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Gorade, with Karadzic abetting the kidnappings to force NATO not to carry out air strikes against Bosnian Serb military targets.
