War Tribunal News and related stories

December 2, 1997
A judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit seeking billions of dollars in damages from Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for crimes against humanity.

U.S. District Judge Peter K. Leisure said the alleged Croat and Muslim victims and survivors of victims of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia- Herzegovina had proven that the claims rise from the same course of events.

He also said it was likely the thousands of people who make up the class would succeed in their lawsuit because Karadzic has opted not to defend himself.

The lawsuits filed by human rights groups in 1993 alleged that Karadzic personally planned and ordered murder, rape, and other forms of torture to destroy the religious and ethnic groups of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats.

The case against Karadzic is based on a 200-year-old law allowing foreign citizens to sue foreign officials and citizens for violating the law of nations.

Karadzic claims he cannot afford to bring witnesses to the United States and risks being arrested if he showed up for trial. Although under indictment by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands, on charges of genocide, Karadzic remains free. - Michael Rapoport , Dow Jones News

November 20, 1997
Soldier describes Bosnia massacre

November 13, 1997
Muslims Tell of Croat Atrocities
Croat Gets Prison Term in Torture Case

November 12, 1997
Bosnian government papers show atrocities committed by government forces

October 21, 1997
Five Bosnians subpoenaed to appear as witnesses before the war crimes tribuanl in the Hague began giving testimony on Tuesday. They are witnesses for the prosecution in the trial of three Bosnian Muslims and a Croat accused of atrocities against Serbs in the jointly run Celebici prison camp in central Bosnia in 1992. The three Bosnian Muslims are Hazim Delic, Esad Landzo and Zejnil Delalic and the Croat is Zdravko Mucic.

The tribunal's indictment lists acts of torture including beatings with shovels, baseball bats and metal chains. Allegations were also heard detailing a regime of incarceration, repeated sexual assaults and at least 14 murders at the camp. Acid, gasoline and corrosive powders were also allegedly used on prisoners. The prosecution is aiming to rest its case later this month or in early November. - CNN via Reuters

October 6, 1997
A Bosnian Croat accused of commanding troops who murdered Muslims in central Bosnia surrendered along with nine other war-crimes suspects to face charges before an international tribunal.

Top suspect Dario Kordic proclaimed his "clear conscience before God and before the Croatian people" before boarding a Dutch military plane bound for the Netherlands. Kordic faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for commanding Bosnian Croat troops in central Bosnia who murdered and tortured hundres of Muslims and torching their homes. Kordic was the leader of the Bosnian branch of Tudjman's Croatian Democratic Union political party.

In addition to Kordic, the other suspects are Pero Skopljak, Marinko Katava, Dragan Papic, Drago Josipovic, Mario Cerkez, Vladimir and Ivan Santic, and Zoran and Mirjan Kupreskic. Associated Press

October 4, 1997
Eight Bosnian Croats, including Pero Skopljak, have agreed to turn themselves over to the International Court in The Hague, Netherlands. These men agreed a day after the United States promised speedy trials to the suspects and coincided with a meeting between a U.S. envoy and Croatin President Franjo Tudjman. A lawyer for the suspects said it was a "question of days" before his clients were in the Hague.

Skopljak was indicted for alleged complicity in the torutre of Muslims in late 1992 and 1993 as police chief of Vitez. He claims he left the job in March of 1992. He has been waiting for Croatian judicial authorities to clear the way for his extradition.

If these eight show up as promised, they will join two other Bosnian Croats already in custody. This will represent the majority of the 16 publicly indicted Bosnian Croats wanted by The Hague tribunal. However, these men are considered relatively minor figures compared to Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military chief, General Ratko Mladic. Associated Press

September 26, 1997
Bosnian Serb sentenced to life

July 29, 1997
Bosnian Serb captured in raid to appear before UN Triunal
Croatia refuses to turn over all documents to tribunal

July 14, 1997
Bosnian Serb war criminal gets 20-year sentence

July 10, 1997
NATO arrests one war criminal, kills another NATO roundup signals tougher stand on Bosnian war criminals

November 29, 1996
Bosnian war crimes participant sentenced

October 25, 1996
War crimes tribunal jeopardized by witness tampering

October 4, 1996
War crimes trial of Croat general set for January