UN court upholds ruling on ex Croatian Serb leader
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CroRadio.net
Oct 8, 2008, 8:20:15 PM10/8/08
to Croatian News
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hSNkbGwJ7skO01wIyTOitvNRZxNAD93MC2BO1
UN court upholds ruling on ex Croatian Serb leader
By MIKE CORDER
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — U.N. appeals judges on Wednesday
confirmed the 35-year sentence for a former Croatian Serb leader
convicted for his role in a deadly campaign of ethnic cleansing in
Croatia.
The appeals chamber rejected virtually all of Milan Martic's 10
grounds of appeal against his conviction last year by the Yugoslav war
crimes tribunal on charges stemming from a campaign of murder, torture
and forced displacements in Croatia.
The reign of terror left hundreds of non-Serbs dead and drove
thousands from their homes in 1991-95.
Tribunal President Fausto Pocar said the appeals judges overturned
minor elements of the convictions, which had "minimal impact on
Martic's overall culpability." He said the judges left Martic's
sentence unchanged.
Martic, 53, showed no emotion as Pocar read the decision. He smiled
and shook hands with his lawyers before being led out of court.
Martic is one of the most senior Serb leaders successfully prosecuted
by the court in its 15-year history, and his sentence is one of its
longest.
The appeals court rejected many of his arguments — including his claim
that the tribunal was biased and had not given him a presumption of
innocence.
He also unsuccessfully argued that the trial judges failed to consider
the fact that he was part of a wider Serb political campaign steered
from Belgrade.
"Martic was not convicted for his political views or for the political
aims of the Serb leadership," Pocar said. "Rather, the trial chamber
found that, in pursuing political aims, Martic and other political and
military leaders committed serious crimes," Pocar said.
The five-judge panel also ruled that Martic could be convicted of
crimes against humanity committed against soldiers not taking part in
hostilities — upholding the prosecution's only ground of appeal.
Prosecutors said Martic was a key member of a conspiracy led by former
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to build a Serb superstate after
the collapse of Yugoslavia.
Martic was held responsible for murder, torture, deportation and other
crimes carried out by Serb forces in Croatia. He also was found guilty
of ordering rocket attacks on the Croatian capital, Zagreb, that
killed seven and injured scores more in May 1995.
The U.N. tribunal has indicted 161 people, mostly Serbs, for war
crimes committed in the Balkan wars of the 1990s. It has convicted 56
and acquitted 10.
Top suspects awaiting trial include former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan
Karadzic. Only two suspects remain at large — Karadzic's former
military chief Gen. Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, another Croat Serb
leader.
UN court upholds ruling on ex Croatian Serb leader
By MIKE CORDER
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — U.N. appeals judges on Wednesday
confirmed the 35-year sentence for a former Croatian Serb leader
convicted for his role in a deadly campaign of ethnic cleansing in
Croatia.
The appeals chamber rejected virtually all of Milan Martic's 10
grounds of appeal against his conviction last year by the Yugoslav war
crimes tribunal on charges stemming from a campaign of murder, torture
and forced displacements in Croatia.
The reign of terror left hundreds of non-Serbs dead and drove
thousands from their homes in 1991-95.
Tribunal President Fausto Pocar said the appeals judges overturned
minor elements of the convictions, which had "minimal impact on
Martic's overall culpability." He said the judges left Martic's
sentence unchanged.
Martic, 53, showed no emotion as Pocar read the decision. He smiled
and shook hands with his lawyers before being led out of court.
Martic is one of the most senior Serb leaders successfully prosecuted
by the court in its 15-year history, and his sentence is one of its
longest.
The appeals court rejected many of his arguments — including his claim
that the tribunal was biased and had not given him a presumption of
innocence.
He also unsuccessfully argued that the trial judges failed to consider
the fact that he was part of a wider Serb political campaign steered
from Belgrade.
"Martic was not convicted for his political views or for the political
aims of the Serb leadership," Pocar said. "Rather, the trial chamber
found that, in pursuing political aims, Martic and other political and
military leaders committed serious crimes," Pocar said.
The five-judge panel also ruled that Martic could be convicted of
crimes against humanity committed against soldiers not taking part in
hostilities — upholding the prosecution's only ground of appeal.
Prosecutors said Martic was a key member of a conspiracy led by former
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to build a Serb superstate after
the collapse of Yugoslavia.
Martic was held responsible for murder, torture, deportation and other
crimes carried out by Serb forces in Croatia. He also was found guilty
of ordering rocket attacks on the Croatian capital, Zagreb, that
killed seven and injured scores more in May 1995.
The U.N. tribunal has indicted 161 people, mostly Serbs, for war
crimes committed in the Balkan wars of the 1990s. It has convicted 56
and acquitted 10.
Top suspects awaiting trial include former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan
Karadzic. Only two suspects remain at large — Karadzic's former
military chief Gen. Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, another Croat Serb
leader.
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