War criminal Slobodan Praljak dies in hospital!

THE HAGUE, (Patria) - N1 learns from circles close to the family that Slobodan Praljak died in a hospital in The Hague, after drinking poison in the courtroom.

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia confirmed the 20-year prison sentence for Slobodan Praljak. After the second-instance verdict was pronounced in the Hague courtroom, Praljak swallowed the contents of a vial in front of the judicial panel, telling them he had "drunk poison."

- I am not a war criminal and I do not accept your verdict - said the convicted general Slobodan Praljak to the presiding judge Carmel Agius, who warned him to stop commenting.

Praljak then drank the contents of the vial and announced that he had "drunk poison."

Judge Agius interrupted the reading of the second-instance verdicts, and medical assistance was called for Praljak. A resuscitation team soon arrived and entered the room where Praljak had been taken from the courtroom. A helicopter is also stationed within the grounds of the Hague Tribunal.

In addition to Praljak, the first-instance sentence of 25 years for the former President of the Government of Herzeg-Bosnia, Jadranko Prlić, was also confirmed, as well as 20 years in prison for Bruno Stojić, the former Minister of Defence.