Bosnian Serb jailed over war crimes

The Bosnian war crimes chamber sentenced a Bosnian Serb former paramilitary on Friday to 12 years in prison.

Izvor: Reuters

Saturday, 25.08.2007.

13:33

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The Bosnian war crimes chamber sentenced a Bosnian Serb former paramilitary on Friday to 12 years in prison. Former reserve policeman Nenad Tanaskovic from the eastern town of Visegrad was al found guilty of the persecution, detention and torture of Muslims in eastern Bosnia early in the 1992-95 war. Bosnian Serb jailed over war crimes “He was also found guilty of setting Muslim houses on fire in nearby villages and abetting in the rape of Muslim women,” presiding Judge Hilmo Vucinic said. "The trial panel of the Bosnia-Herzegovina court found the accused guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to 12 years in prison," he added. "The accused took part in a widespread or systematic attack of the Bosnian Serb Army, police and paramilitary formations against the Muslim civilian population of the Visegrad municipality," Vucinic said. Tanaskovic took part in an organized attack on undefended Muslim villages, after which Bosnian Serb forces detained male inhabitants, looted a shop and set houses on fire. He himself set two houses on fire, according to the judge. He also took part in the forcible persecution of Muslim families from their homes and the separation of men from women. Most of the men were later found in an eastern mass grave. Reuters reported that survivors reacted angrily to the court's ruling, saying it was far too lenient. "It's a disaster," said Bakira Hasecic of the Women Victims of War association, herself a rape victim from Visegrad. She stressed that Tanaskovic had committed “much graver crimes but that the prosecution had failed to invite dozens of witnesses against him.”

Bosnian Serb jailed over war crimes

“He was also found guilty of setting Muslim houses on fire in nearby villages and abetting in the rape of Muslim women,” presiding Judge Hilmo Vučinić said.

"The trial panel of the Bosnia-Herzegovina court found the accused guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to 12 years in prison," he added.

"The accused took part in a widespread or systematic attack of the Bosnian Serb Army, police and paramilitary formations against the Muslim civilian population of the Višegrad municipality," Vučinić said.

Tanasković took part in an organized attack on undefended Muslim villages, after which Bosnian Serb forces detained male inhabitants, looted a shop and set houses on fire.

He himself set two houses on fire, according to the judge.

He also took part in the forcible persecution of Muslim families from their homes and the separation of men from women. Most of the men were later found in an eastern mass grave.

Reuters reported that survivors reacted angrily to the court's ruling, saying it was far too lenient.

"It's a disaster," said Bakira Hasečić of the Women Victims of War association, herself a rape victim from Višegrad.

She stressed that Tanasković had committed “much graver crimes but that the prosecution had failed to invite dozens of witnesses against him.”

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