The U.N. war crimes tribunal for Yugoslavia imposed its harshest punishment to date Thursday, sentencing a Bosnian Serb politician to life in prison for exterminating or deporting thousands of Muslims and Croats in 1992. Though acquitted of genocide, Milomir Stakic was convicted of being a leading figure in a racist campaign of persecution "to achieve the vision of a pure Serbian state," according to a summary of the verdict read in court. Stakic, a 41-year-old doctor, was convicted of directly planning and coordinating war crimes and was held responsible for subordinates who killed 1,500 people and forced at least 20,000 non-Serb civilians from their homes in the northwestern Bosnian municipality of Prijedor, where he was mayor.
It was the third acquittal on genocide charges by the Yugoslav tribunal, and was another signal that the court is demanding rock-hard proof of an intent to destroy a group of people because of their race, religion or ethnicity. The Hague court has only convicted one defendant - Bosnian Serb Gen. Radislav Krstic - of genocide. Until Thursday, Krstic’s 46-year sentence was the harshest on record for the tribunal. He is appealing.
Stakic was convicted on five counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, specifically extermination, murder and persecution. He was acquitted on three counts of genocide, complicity in commit genocide and inhumane acts. Stakic will be eligible for release after 20 years in prison and will receive credit for the two years and eight months he has been in custody.
