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Posts Tagged ‘crimes against humanity’

A Life Sentence for Ratko Mladić

Thursday, December 7th, 2017

December 7, 2017

On Nov. 22, 2017, the United Nations (UN) International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted former Bosnian Serb army leader Ratko Mladić of genocide and other crimes committed during the Bosnian War (1992-1995). The focal point of Mladić’s trial was the 1995 Srebrenica Massacre of thousands of Bosniaks (sometimes called Bosnian Muslims) by Bosnian Serb forces. Mladić was sentenced to life in prison.

Supporters of Ratko Mladić wave flags and a banner with his likeness during a rally in Belgrade, Serbia, where many consider him a hero. Mladić was sentenced to life in prison for genocide and other war crimes on Nov. 22, 2017. Supporters of genocide suspect Ratko Mladic wave flags with him picture and reading in Serbian: "Serbian Hero" during a rally organized by the ultra nationalist Serbian Radical Party in front of the Parliament building, in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Thousands of demonstrators sang nationalist songs and carried banners honoring jailed former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladić on Sunday as they poured into the street outside Serbia's parliament to demand the release of the war-crimes suspect, whom they consider a hero. Credit: © Darko Vojinovic, AP Photo

Supporters of Ratko Mladić wave flags and a banner with his likeness during a rally in Belgrade, Serbia, where many consider him a hero. Mladić was sentenced to life in prison for genocide and other war crimes on Nov. 22, 2017. Credit: © Darko Vojinovic, AP Photo

The Bosnian War was a conflict between ethnic groups mainly in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Through most of the 1900’s, Bosnia-Herzegovina (often simply called Bosnia) had been part of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia began to break into smaller countries in the early 1990’s, and Bosnia became independent in March 1992. Following independence, Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian forces fought for control of the new country. The war, which often saw violence inflicted upon opposing civilian populations, ended in December 1995.

In July 1995, Serb troops captured the disputed city of Srebrenica. A group of about 15,000 Bosniaks attempted to flee the area, but the Serbs captured most of them. The Serbs claimed that the Bosniak civilians under their control would be transferred to safe areas. The Serbs sent the Bosniak women and children away on buses and trucks. But most of the Bosniak men were executed.

Bosnian Muslim woman Ajsa Husejnovic, left, cries with family members near the coffin of her husband Husejnovc Munib among 136 coffins displayed at memorial centre of Potocari near Srebrenica, 150 kms north east of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Friday, July 10, 2015, prior to their burial scheduled for tomorrow. Twenty years ago, on July 11, 1995, Serb troops overran the eastern Bosnian Muslim enclave of Srebrenica and executed some 8,000 Muslim men and boys, which International courts have labeled as an act of genocide, and newly identified victims of the genocide are still being re-interred in Srebrenica. Credit: © Amel Emric, AP Photo

In 2015, Bosniak women weep over the remains of men killed in the 1995 Srebrenica Massacre during the Bosnian War (1992-1995). Many years after the massacre, bodies were exhumed from mass graves for identification. Credit: © Amel Emric, AP Photo

Investigators later found evidence that the Serbs killed over 7,000 Bosniaks at Srebrenica. The UN convicted several Bosnian Serb military leaders for their roles in the massacre. The UN also charged Mladić, then head of the Bosnian Serb army, and Radovan Karadžić, then leader of the Bosnian Serbs, with war crimes. Karadžić was captured in 2008. His trial began in 2009 at a UN criminal court in The Hague, the Netherlands. Mladić was arrested in 2011. His trial began in 2012. In 2016, Karadžić was found guilty of genocide and other war crimes and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

In 2017, a Serbian court dealt with the issue for the first time as eight former Bosnian Serb police officers accused of participating in the massacre went on trial in Belgrade. On November 22, the UN convicted Mladić on two charges of genocide, five charges of crimes against humanity, and four counts of war crimes. A week later, on November 29, Slobodan Praljak, a Bosnian Croat military commander during the Bosnian War, died after drinking poison in a UN courtroom upon the confirmation of his 20-year prison sentence for war crimes.

 

Tags: bosnia-herzegovina, bosnian war, crimes against humanity, genocide, ratko mladić, srebrenica massacre, united nations, war crimes
Posted in Crime, Current Events, Government & Politics, History, Military Conflict, People | Comments Off

Syria Guilty of Crimes Against Humanity

Monday, November 28th, 2011

Nov. 28, 2011

The security forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have committed systematic “crimes against humanity” in their months-long crackdown on antigovernment protesters, the United Nations reported today in a study prepared by an independent panel. According the panel’s findings, civilians, including children, have been arrested arbitrarily, tortured, and murdered. In the latest violence, at least 23 people were killed across Syria during demonstrations yesterday.

In response to the violence used against its own people, the Arab League, by a vote of 19-to-3, imposed economic sanctions against the government of Syria. The sanctions freeze Syrian government assets held in league member states; cut off transactions with the Syrian central bank; halt funding by Arab governments for projects in Syria; ban senior Syrian officials from traveling to member states; and ban commercial flights between Syria and member states. While not a member of the Arab League, Turkey volunteered to act in accordance with the sanctions. According to United Nations estimates, as many as 3,500 people have died since the demonstrations began in March.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has come under severe international criticism for his government's continuing attacks on protesters demanding more political freedom. AP/Wide World

On November 14, Jordan’s King Abdullah II became the first Arab leader to openly call on Assad to leave office. In a BBC interview, Abdullah declared, “If Bashar [al-Assad] had an interest in his country he would step down.” The king went on to say that if he were in Assad’s position, he would make sure “whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status quo (the existing state of affairs).”

Additional World Book articles:

  • Human rights
  • International Court of Justice
  • Middle East

Tags: arab league, bashar al-assad, crimes against humanity, human rights, protest, syria
Posted in Current Events, Government & Politics | Comments Off

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