Early Release Granted to Bosnian Croat War Criminal
A United Nations court has granted early release to a former Bosnian Croat defense minister convicted of war crimes committed in Bosnia during the early 1990s.
The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, based in The Hague, ordered Bruno Stojic's release from detention in Austria and his return to Croatia.
The 70-year-old was found to have behaved well in prison, accepted personal responsibility for his crimes, expressed regret for the consequences of his actions, demonstrated good behavior while incarcerated, and possessed a positive outlook regarding his potential reintegration into society.Stojic was initially sentenced in 2013 to 20 years in jail, alongside former Bosnian Croat President Jadranko Prlic and four others.
His original sentence was set to expire in September 2027.
In 2013, when convicting Stojic and his co-accused, Judge Jean-Claude Antonetti asserted that their aim was to establish reunification with Croatia by altering the ethnic composition of the territory claimed by Bosnian Croats.
To achieve this objective, they employed methods such as mass arrests, murder, beating, sexual assault, and property theft against Bosnian Muslims.The 1992-1995 war in Bosnia primarily involved Bosnian Muslims battling Bosnian Serbs, with a smaller portion of the conflict consisting of strife between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats.
This resulted in the deaths of approximately 100,000 people during the conflict.
In 1992, Bosnian Croats established a Croatian entity known as the HVO, which served both as an army and government.
The Bosnian Croats later proclaimed the establishment of a 'Croatian state' called Herceg-Bosna in Bosnia in August 1993.Stojic was encouraged to continue reflecting on his actions and responsibility following his release and to consider steps that would contribute to reconciliation efforts between communities.
The 70-year-old was found to have behaved well in prison, accepted personal responsibility for his crimes, expressed regret for the consequences of his actions, demonstrated good behavior while incarcerated, and possessed a positive outlook regarding his potential reintegration into society.Stojic was initially sentenced in 2013 to 20 years in jail, alongside former Bosnian Croat President Jadranko Prlic and four others.
His original sentence was set to expire in September 2027.
In 2013, when convicting Stojic and his co-accused, Judge Jean-Claude Antonetti asserted that their aim was to establish reunification with Croatia by altering the ethnic composition of the territory claimed by Bosnian Croats.
To achieve this objective, they employed methods such as mass arrests, murder, beating, sexual assault, and property theft against Bosnian Muslims.The 1992-1995 war in Bosnia primarily involved Bosnian Muslims battling Bosnian Serbs, with a smaller portion of the conflict consisting of strife between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats.
This resulted in the deaths of approximately 100,000 people during the conflict.
In 1992, Bosnian Croats established a Croatian entity known as the HVO, which served both as an army and government.
The Bosnian Croats later proclaimed the establishment of a 'Croatian state' called Herceg-Bosna in Bosnia in August 1993.Stojic was encouraged to continue reflecting on his actions and responsibility following his release and to consider steps that would contribute to reconciliation efforts between communities.
