Bosnian Serb Tolimir jailed for life for war crimes

12/12/12 19:04 CET

world news

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Former Yugloslav intelligence chief Xdravko Tolimir has been sentenced to life in prison for crimes committed during the Balkan war in the mid-1990s.

Arrested in June 2007, the 64-year-old had been on trial at the Hague, accused of offences including genocide.

He was found guilty of playing a key role in the 1995 Srebenica massacre during which eight thousand Muslim men and boys were killed. It was Europe’s worst atrocity since World War Two.

Tolimir has been described by witnesses at the trial as the “right hand man and eyes and ears” of Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic during a conflict that killed 100,000 people.

Mladic himself has also been on trial at the Hague since May, accused of war crimes. He was caught in Serbia last year after spending sixteen years on the run.

Mladic oversaw the siege and bombardment of Sarajevo, in which 12,000 people died.

More about: Bosnian war, International Criminal Court, Ratko Mladic, Serbia

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