War Crimes Court Says Praljak's Suicide Was Preventable

Results of an independent investigation into the operations of the International Criminal Court regarding the detention of General Slobodan Praljak, who drank poison and committed suicide during a live televised trial, indicate that it was not possible to prevent this act. The full text of this independent investigation, released by the International Criminal Court on Sunday, states in its conclusion that there was no way to guarantee that the poison could be traced or found. Judge Hassan Yalo noted in this investigation: 'My review shows no flaws or issues in the legal system of the International Criminal Court and their transfer from the UN detention center. Therefore, I have no recommendations for changes to the laws and operational directives for the transfer of defendants.' Slobodan Praljak, 72, drank a small bottle of cyanide on November 29 of last year during a court session while the court's review was being broadcast live on television after hearing that his 20-year prison sentence had been upheld. The judge quickly halted the proceedings, and the defendant was treated, but he died hours later that same day. While the Dutch judges are still reviewing the case, the independent investigation report states that it is not possible to find credible information indicating that Praljak had access to poison. The report states: 'Even if there were a way to access information indicating that the defendant had obtained poison, the nature of this very small bottle is such that it cannot be found even with the most thorough inspections of the individual, cell, or holding area.' Under the laws of the International Criminal Court, thorough inspections, including complete body searches, are only permitted in very necessary cases. The report recommends a 30-minute delay in the media broadcast of defendants' trials at the International Criminal Court. It also suggests more thorough inspections of defendants' cells to prevent such incidents in the future. Praljak, who was tried and convicted in 2013, was one of six political and military officials of the Bosnian Croats whose appeals were being reviewed in this session. One of his crimes was ordering the explosion of the old Mostar Bridge in November 1993, which the initial court judge described in his ruling as 'a cause of severe harm to civilians.' The destruction of this bridge, which dates back to the Ottoman era in the 15th century, became one of the significant symbols of the war's devastation. The bridge was later rebuilt, but Mostar was the scene of the fiercest battles between Bosnian Muslims and Croats, with nearly 80% of the city destroyed during the war. In the review session of Slobodan Praljak's appeal, the court annulled part of his convictions but did not reduce his 20-year prison sentence.