Yugoslav war crimes court wins praise from many – not Russia
The U.N. war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia, which is closing after 24 years, drew praise Wednesday from its president, the U.S. and many Security Council members — but not from Russia, which called it biased and anti-Serb.
The council established the tribunal in 1993 to deal with atrocities during the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s. It was the first international court to investigate and prosecute allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide since the tribunals in Nuremberg and Tokyo after World War II.
At a council meeting before the tribunal ends operations Dec. 31, its president, Judge Carmel Aguis, said the court proved to be “a bold and innovative response to conflict” that has written “a very important page in the history of international justice and the fight against impunity.”
He expressed hope that the tribunal’s “legacy and judgments” won’t be undermined by the dramatic death of Croat ex-general Slobodan Praljak, who took poison Nov. 29 after judges at the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, confirmed his 20-year-sentence for war crimes in Bosnia.