ZAGREB, Dec 18 (Hina) - The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Thursday sentenced a Bosnian Serb to 23 years in prison for crimes against humanity.
ZAGREB, Dec 18 (Hina) - The International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Thursday sentenced a Bosnian Serb to 23
years in prison for crimes against humanity.#L#
Dragan Nikolic aka Jenki (46), the former commander of Susica
detention camp in eastern Bosnia, is the first suspect indicted by the
UN tribunal at The Hague. The indictment was issued on November 4,
1994.
The original indictment charged him on counts of crimes against
humanity, harsh violations of the Geneva conventions and laws and
customs of war, as well as crimes against prisoners.
Nikolic was arrested by NATO-led peacekeepers in northern Bosnia in
April 2000, after which he was transferred to The Hague.
Nikolic made a deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty in
September to persecution, murder, torture and allowing guards and
soldiers to rape and sexually assault women at the camp in 1992.
Addressing the Trial Chamber, Nikolic expressed remorse and assumed
responsibility for the crimes he committed.
Some 8,000 Bosnian Muslims and other non-Serb civilians have been
detained in the Susica camp. Men, women, children, even entire
families were exposed to inhumane conditions in the camp. Many female
prisoners were sexually abused and raped.
Nikolic admitted to nine murders, torture of five prisoners and being
accomplice in the rape of female prisoners.
Pleading guilty, expressing remorse and cooperating with the ICTY
Prosecutor's Office are mitigating circumstances. Nikolic's sentence
will include the three years and seven months he spent in detention.
(Hina) it sb