First genocide verdicts in Europe handed down by an international court: Three life sentences and 189 years in prison

For the genocide and crimes committed in July 1995 in Srebrenica, the Hague Tribunal and the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina have so far imposed 637 years of imprisonment and three life sentences, with 38 individuals convicted, Patria reports.

Of this number, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina imposed prison sentences totaling 448 years, while the Hague Tribunal imposed 189 years of imprisonment and three life sentences for 14 perpetrators.

The most recent non-final conviction for genocide in Srebrenica was handed down to former RS and SDS President Radovan Karadžić, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He is also the only politician convicted by The Hague.

Radislav Krstić, former general of the Drina Corps, was sentenced by the Tribunal to 35 years in prison. Dragan Obrenović, chief of staff of the Zvornik Brigade, received 17 years, and Vidoje Blagojević, colonel of the Bratunac Brigade, received 15 years.

Vujadin Popović was sentenced to life imprisonment, as were Zdravko Tolimir, who died in Scheveningen, and Ljubiša Beara, who died in his prison cell last week.

Drago Nikolić received 35 years in prison for participation in a joint criminal enterprise. He died in Serbia while on temporary release. Radivoje Miletić received 18 years, and Vinko Pandurević received 13 years for aiding and abetting murders, persecution, and forcible transfer. Ljubomir Borovčanin was sentenced to 17 years, and Milan Gvero to five years in prison.

Sentences of 30 years or more in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina were imposed on Franc Kos, Zoran Goronja, Stanko Kojić, and Duško Jević.

Milorad Trbić received a sentence of 20 years in prison. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina also sentenced Srećko Bošković to eight years in prison.

Radomir Vuković was initially sentenced to 31 years in prison, but the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina reduced his sentence to 20 years last year.

Five convicts at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina pleaded guilty and were sentenced to a total of 39 years in prison.

Perišić and the Srebrenica genocide

In September 2011, the Hague Court found former Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army Momčilo Perišić guilty and sentenced him to 27 years in prison for aiding and abetting the multi-year siege and terror against civilians in Sarajevo and the killings of several thousand Bosniaks in Srebrenica, as well as for failing to punish subordinates for the rocket attack on Zagreb, but he was acquitted of responsibility for the crime of extermination in Srebrenica because the judges considered that he could not have foreseen the scale of the massacre in Srebrenica in July 1995.

The majority of judges found that General Perišić's actions significantly contributed to the crimes committed by the Bosnian Serb army.