Bosnian Muslim Commander Gets 2 Years For War Crimes
Yvonne Lee - All Headline News Staff Reporter The Hague (AHN) - The former commander of Bosnian Muslim forces receives a sentence of two years for war crimes, but is released because of time served. The United Nations war crimes court found Naser Oric, 39, guilty of allowing his subordinates to kill and mistreat Bosnian Serb prisoners in Srebrenica in 1992 and 1993. Oric was a bodyguard to former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, and a ex-member of the elite unit of the Yugoslav army. According to AFP, many Bosnian Muslims consider Oric a hero who defended Srebrenica. The AFP reports that Oric smiled broadly as the judge read the verdict at The Hague. Presiding judge Carmel Agius ordered Oric's release as soon as possible. He has been held at a UN detention center for more than three years. Oric's crimes precede the massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995. Oric was convicted of failing to stop his subordinates from committing crimes, even though he was aware of previous killings of prisoners. Judge Agius says, "He decided not to do anything about it, not even at least try and inquire about the situation of the prisoners." Oric was acquitted of wanton destruction during raids
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