THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Jan 28(Hina) - The Trial Chamber of the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the case of Milan Babic on Wednesday accepted a plea-bargain between the prosecution and Babic, a day after he pleaded
guilty to the persecution of Croats in 1991-1992 as a crime against humanity.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Jan 28(Hina) - The Trial Chamber of the UN war crimes
tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the case of Milan Babic on
Wednesday accepted a plea-bargain between the prosecution and Babic, a
day after he pleaded guilty to the persecution of Croats in 1991-1992
as a crime against humanity.#L#
Presiding judge Alphonse Orie said the Chamber accepted Babic's plea
of guilty and considered him guilty of persecution on political,
racial and religious grounds as a crime against humanity. It is
expected that the session on the duration of the sentence will be held
in early April, it was said.
Babic pleaded guilty to the first count of his indictment -
persecution of Croats and other non-Serbs as a crime against humanity
as well as to complicity in "the joint criminal enterprise".
The prosecution is bound by the plea-bargain to request a maximum
sentence of 11 years' imprisonment, but the judges deciding about the
sentence have said that they are not bound by that proposal.
At yesterday's hearing, at which the former Croatian Serb rebel leader
pleaded guilty, members of the Trial Chamber expressed reservations
towards the plea bargain between the prosecution and the accused,
postponing their decision on adopting the agreement for later. The
Chamber stated that it had rejected the first version of the agreement
because Babic's responsibility was described in a much milder form
than it was in the indictment.
As part of the plea bargain, the prosecution has dropped the remaining
four counts which charge Babic with violations of the laws and customs
of war, and it has bound itself to provide for his security.
It is stated in the plea bargain, among other things, that Babic did
not know that civilians were intentionally killed and that he learned
of the details of those events years later, which the prosecution said
was confirmed by their numerous investigations. Babic also expressed
deep regret over the crimes, calling on Serbs to face the truth and
appealing to Croats to forgive them.
(Hina) rml sb