Former Yugoslav Army chief found guilty of war crimes

Former Yugoslav Army chief found guilty of war crimes

2011-09-07 07:20:45 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) tribunal on Tuesday convicted former chief of staff of the Yugoslav Army MomÄilo PeriÅ¡ić to 27 years in prison for the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found Perišić guilty of aiding and abetting murders, inhumane acts, persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, and attacks on civilians in Sarajevo and Srebrenica.

During Perišic's trial, which began in October 2008 and concluded in March this year, more than 100 witnesses testified.

The ICTY also acquitted Perišić of charges of aiding and abetting extermination as a crime against humanity in Srebrenica, where more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were summarily executed in July 1995, and of command responsibility in relation to crimes in Sarajevo and Srebrenica.

In addition, Perišić was also found guilty of failing to punish his subordinates for their crimes of murder, attacks on civilians and injuring and wounding civilians during the rocket attacks on Zagreb in May 1995.

According to the tribunal's trial chamber, Perišić also oversaw the Yugoslav Army's provision of extensive assistance to the Army of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Army of Serbian Krajina in Croatia, including infantry and artillery ammunition, fuel, spare parts, training and technical assistance.

Since its establishment, the tribunal has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001. Proceedings have been concluded against 126 accused and are currently ongoing for 35 others.

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