Presentation of closing arguments on the trial of Ratko Mladić, the last first-instance proceeding before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, will begin today.
From December 5 until December 15 the prosecution and defense will present closing arguments on the trial of the former commandant of the Main Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska, accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the aggression on BiH from 1992 until 1992.
Mladić was arrested on May 26, 2011 after sixteen years in hiding from international justice. He is accused of participating in four joint criminal ventures during the war in BiH between 1992 and 1995.
The first, comprehensive criminal venture is the ethnic cleansing of major parts of BiH with scope of genocide in several municipalities. The second venture is the campaign of artillery and sniper terror over Sarajevo. The third is taking members of UN as hostages and using them as live shields and the last, final criminal venture are executions and deportations of Srebrenica Muslims in July 1995, which was also classified as genocide.
Presentation of closing arguments will last for seven court days. Prosecution will present their arguments on December 5, 6 and 7, and after one day of break the defense will take over, on December 9, 12 and 13. On December 15, both sides will get 90 minutes for final replies.
Judges Orie, Moloto and Floege will then withdraw for deliberation on the verdict which should be pronounced by the end of 2017.
(Source: vijesti.ba)
