The Appeals Chamber judgement was read out by Judge Florence Mumba, who said the Appeals Chamber unanimously rejected 10 of the 11 grounds for appeal, in part allowing one referring to the defendant's good conduct after the crimes as a mitigating circumstance.
Babic, 49, played a leading role in the Serb rebellion in the Knin Krajina region from 1991 to 1995, when he was first president of the assembly and later prime minister and president of the self-styled state known as SAO Krajina and RS Krajina.
He was indicted on 6 November 2003 and surrendered to the UN court on 26 November, pleading not guilty at his first appearance before the tribunal.
Babic was charged with the persecution, extermination and killing of hundreds of Croatian and other non-Serb civilians, the detention of hundreds of civilians, the deportation and forcible removal of thousands of civilians, and the wanton destruction of houses and institutions dedicated to education, culture and religion.
On 27 January 2004, Babic made a plea agreement with the Prosecution, admitting to persecution on political, racial or religious grounds as a crime against humanity, as well as to involvement in a joint criminal enterprise the purpose of which was the occupation and ethnic cleansing of roughly one third of Croatian territory and its annexation to Greater Serbia.
In a statement on that occasion, he expressed shame and deep regret for the crimes he had taken part in and called on Serbs to face the truth and on Croats to forgive them in the interest of future coexistence. In return, the Prosecution withdrew four counts of the indictment and moved for an 11-year prison sentence.
Babic also testified in the trials of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and former Bosnian Serb leader Momcilo Krajisnik, and is expected to prove a key witness for the prosecution against other Serb leaders as well.