Radovan Karadzic Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Genocide in Bosnia

On Thursday, April 5, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of Bosnian Serbs, guilty of genocide and nine other charges, sentencing him to 40 years in prison for leading and organizing massacres committed by Serb forces in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995. Approximately 100,000 people were killed during the Bosnian civil war. According to the Associated Press, Karadzic sank slightly in his chair as the verdict was read but did not show much reaction. He intends to appeal the ruling. The court accused Karadzic of participating in the genocide of about 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica by Serb soldiers in 1995, which is considered the bloodiest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust. The judge stated that Karadzic was the only Bosnian Serb official who could have prevented this massacre, but instead ordered the transfer of prisoners for execution from one location to another. Bosnian Serb forces systematically moved Muslim men to the outskirts of Srebrenica, executed them, and buried them in mass graves. The judge added that Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic, the military commander of the Bosnian Serbs, had decided to kill all healthy men and teenage boys in Srebrenica. In addition, Karadzic was convicted of murder, attacking civilians, and leading the 44-month siege of Sarajevo, as well as taking United Nations peacekeepers hostage. However, he was acquitted of participating in another genocide, which involved a targeted campaign to expel Muslims and Croats from villages claimed by Bosnian Serbs. One of Karadzic's lawyers stated after the verdict that he would appeal and seek a review. He was convicted of a total of 11 crimes, which could have resulted in a life sentence. The prosecution identified Karadzic as the political leader and commander of the armed forces of the Serbs in Bosnia, responsible for committing the most horrific crimes during the Bosnian civil war. Now 70 years old, Karadzic has always maintained his innocence, claiming that his actions during the war aimed to protect Serbs. The Associated Press adds that the trial of Radovan Karadzic is of great importance for the United Nations war crimes tribunal and the expansion of international legal standards. He is the highest-ranking Bosnian Serb official to be tried and convicted by this court. His conviction is likely to strengthen the court's position as an international body for holding politicians accountable for criminal and civil responsibility. In Bosnia, a country still deeply divided along ethnic lines, residents of Serb-majority areas protested his trial and conviction by putting up posters in his defense, while many Muslims and Croats welcomed the conviction of the former Serb leader and expressed their happiness.