Ratko Mladic sentenced to life imprisonment VIDEO / PHOTO

Ratko Mladic sentenced to life imprisonment VIDEO / PHOTO

The Appeals Chamber upheld Ratko Mladic's first-instance verdict in its entirety.

He was sentenced to life in prison for genocide in Srebrenica, crimes against humanity in 15 municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, siege, sniping and terrorizing Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995, and holding members of the UN peacekeeping mission hostage during the NATO bombing.

The second-instance verdict was passed with the dissenting opinion of Judge Niyamba on all counts.

The Chamber is satisfied that Mr Mladic is found guilty of genocide, a crime against humanity, hostage-taking and violation of the laws or customs of war, persecution ...

"He committed those crimes within the framework of four joint criminal enterprises, which aimed at the permanent removal of Muslims to the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina," the judge of the International Residual Mechanism in The Hague stated.

The Chamber concluded that he failed to react, i.e. that without his interventions the mentioned crimes would not have occurred. Speaking about the comprehensive Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE), aimed at the permanent removal of Bosniaks and Croats from the territory of BiH to which Serbs laid claim, Nyambe pointed out that Mladic significantly contributed to a comprehensive JCE from May 12, 1992. The Appeals Chamber found that Mladic had failed to prove that the Chamber had erred in its method to drawn conclusions regarding the JCE. Mladic did not show that the Chamber erred in its assessment of the evidence it considered exculpatory.

The same was said regarding the terrorizing and shelling of Sarajevo. His appeal was also rejected on this point and his guilt for the JCE for Sarajevo was confirmed.

It was also confirmed that Mladic was guilty of genocide in Srebrenica as well as mass persecutions in that area. Judge Nyambe expressed an opposite opinion on this point as well. Mladic asked for a glass of water during the sentencing, and photo-reporters managed to record his mood after the final verdict was read to him.

He will remain in custody until the final decision on where to serve his sentence.

On what counts was Mladic convicted

Mladic was sentenced to life in prison because he "significantly contributed to the perpetration of the genocide in Srebrenica and other war crimes committed on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina."

Mladic was convicted on 10 counts:

- under count 2 for the genocide in Srebrenica,

- under count 3 for a crime against humanity,

- under count 4 for extermination and crime against civilians,

- under count 5 for murders and crimes against civilians,

- under count 6 for murders and violations of the laws and customs of war,

- under count 7 due to deportations and crimes against civilians,

- under count 8 for inhumane transfer and crimes against civilians

- under count 9, he was convicted of terrorism, violation of the laws and customs of war

- he was convicted under Count 10 for unlawful attacks on civilians and violations of the laws or customs of war, and

- under count 11 for taking hostages - UN personnel and violating the laws and customs of war.

What he was acquitted for

He was acquitted only for the charges of genocide in six municipalities - Foca, Kljuc, Kotor-Varos, Prijedor, Sanski Most, Vlasenica.

The indictment charged him with four criminal undertakings (JCE), and he was acquitted of one of them, which refers to six municipalities.

He was convicted of joint criminal enterprise involving Srebrenica, Sarajevo and hostage-taking.

He was sentenced to life in prison because he "significantly contributed to the perpetration of the genocide in Srebrenica and other war crimes committed on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina."

Judge Niambe said that this final verdict according to the statute should be executed immediately.