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Popović et al. (‘Srebrenica’) Judgement To Be Rendered On 10 June 2010

Press Advisory

(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
 

The Hague, 3 June 2010
NJ/MOW/PA405e


Popović et al. (‘Srebrenica’) Judgement To Be Rendered On 10 June 2010


The Judgement in the case of Popović and others, involving six Bosnian Serb military officers and one Bosnian Serb special police officer, accused of crimes in Eastern Bosnia in 1995, is scheduled to be rendered on Thursday, 10 June at 10:00 in Courtroom III.
 
Of the seven Accused, five are charged with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and extermination. Vujadin Popović, Ljubiša Beara, Drago Nikolić, Ljubomir Borovčanin and Vinko Pandurević are accused of participating in a conspiracy and joint criminal enterprise, the alleged purpose of which was to murder the able-bodied Bosnian Muslim men from Srebrenica. Radivoje Miletić and Milan Gvero are charged with crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war, including murder, persecutions, forcible transfer and deportation. All seven Accused are also alleged to be members of a joint criminal enterprise to forcibly remove the Muslim population from Srebrenica and Žepa. According to the indictment, the members of both joint criminal enterprises included Radovan Karadžic, Ratko Mladić, Radislav Krstić and Zdravko Tolimir.

The indictment describes the large-scale murder of Bosnian Muslims from Srebrenica after its fall to Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995. It states that the implementation of the joint criminal enterprise to murder resulted in the summary execution of over 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys from the Srebrenica enclave and that by 1 November 1995 the entire Muslim population had been either removed or had fled from Srebrenica and Žepa.

This trial has been the largest conducted to date at the ICTY. Hearings in the trial began on 14 July 2006 and closing arguments finished on 15 September 2009. The Trial Chamber sat on a total of 425 days during which more than 5300 exhibits were admitted. The evidence of 315 witnesses has been presented: 182 by the Prosecution; 132 by all the Defence teams and one by the Trial Chamber.

The Tribunal has indicted a total of 21 individuals for crimes committed in connection with Srebrenica. Among these is Radislav Krstić who is the only individual to have been convicted by the Tribunal of aiding and abetting genocide. The Appeals Chamber sentenced him to 35 years’ imprisonment on 19 April 2004. The trials of Radovan Karadžić and Zdravko Tolimir are ongoing. To date, Ratko Mladić, the war-time leader of Bosnian Serb army, remains a fugitive.

Since its establishment, the Tribunal has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of humanitarian law committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001.  Proceedings against 123 have been concluded. Proceedings are currently open for 38 Accused with 25 at trial stage and 11 before the Appeals Chamber.


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An information sheet providing a review of the case can be found at:
http://www.icty.org/x/cases/popovic/cis/en/cis_popovic_al_en.pdf

The indictment is available at:
http://www.icty.org/x/cases/popovic/ind/en/popovic-060804.pdf

Courtroom proceedings can be followed on the Tribunal’s website at www.icty.org

The reading of the Summary of the Judgement will be carried live.


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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

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