Former police officer transferred to Germany to serve sentence for crimes committed in 2001 Macedonian conflict

Former police officer transferred to Germany to serve sentence for crimes committed in 2001 Macedonian conflict

2011-07-09 05:26:12 GMT+7 (ICT)

HAGUE (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Friday announced that a former police officer was transferred to Germany to serve his 12-year sentence for crimes committed during the 2001 conflict in Macedonia.

Johan TarÄulovski was an ex-police officer of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). On May 19, 2010, the Appeals Chamber affirmed his conviction for murdering three ethnic Albanian civilians, destroying 12 houses and torturing 13 more people.

The Chamber upheld the sentence reached after TarÄulovski was found guilty of having ordered, planned and instigated crimes committed against ethnic Albanians during a police operation conducted on August 12, 2001 in the village of Ljuboten in northern Macedonia.

Co-defendant Ljube Boškoski, former Macedonian Minister of Interior from May 2001 until November 2002, was acquitted by both the ICTY and the Appeals Chamber. This was the only case related to the 2001 FYROM conflict prosecuted by the UN tribunal.

TarÄulovski was ordered to serve his prison time under watch of German authorities by the President of the Tribunal. The ex-policeman is the fourth convicted person to be transferred to Germany.

The ICTY has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of humanitarian law committed on the territory of former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001 since its inception 18 years ago.

The UN-backed tribunal have concluded proceedings against 126 persons. To date, ICTY has signed agreements on the enforcement of sentences with 17 countries.

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