Former Bosnian Croat commander sentenced for war crimes

30/09/2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) -- Former Bosnian Croat commander Slavko Sakic received on Monday (September 29th) a prison sentence of eight and a half years for war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims during the 1992-1995 conflict. The Bosnian war crimes tribunal tried Sakic, 35, after his arrest in May. He pleaded guilty to charges of having participated in the "execution of one person" and the "torture of civilian prisoners of war" in Bugojno, central Bosnia, in July 1993. He will not appeal the sentence.

In other news Monday, the head of the European Integration Directorate, Osman Topcagic, said BiH has fulfilled only 13 of 30 priority tasks under its Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, which it signed in mid-June. Among targets achieved are the adoption of laws on the fiscal council, agriculture and rural development, medicines and secondary education. The main shortcomings, however, involve laws on banking supervision, state assets, bonds, environmental protection, changes in the election law related to presidency members, a strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises and establishment of a socioeconomic council. Topcagic said BiH has drafted the laws but needs to summon the political will to pass them. (AFP, Dnevni Avaz, Mondo, Tanjug, Nezavisne Novine - 29/09/08)