Face-up to your war-time past, UN prosecutor implores Croatian leaders

Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), has implored Croatian leaders to face up to what happened in the past and work towards reconciliation.

The UN chief prosecutor made the comments in the wake of the suicide of a Bosnian Croat war crime suspect Slobodan Praljak who died after drinking poison in court after his 20-year sentence was upheld.

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Praljak made the choice to end his life,” Serge remarked “But you will understand that my thoughts are with the victims and survivors of the crimes for which he was convicted,” he added.

Read also: BOSNIA: War crime suspect drinks poison in court after 20-yr sentence is upheld

Dutch prosecutors Friday showed that Praljak, 72, likely died from heart failure after swallowing potassium cyanide at the war crimes court for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

The suspect while in court drank from a small bottle, upon hearing that his 20-year jail sentence had been upheld by the court declaring: “What I am drinking now is poison”.

Praljak’s and six other Bosnian Croat political and military leaders were convicted in 2013 of persecuting, expelling and murdering Muslims during Bosnia’s war.

 

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