International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Progresses

Former Bosnia Serb Commander Nikolic Pleads tp Srebrenica Crimes. On May 6, 2003, Momir Nikiolic, a former Bosnian Serb commander, agreed to plead g to crimes against humanity in the massacre of more than 7,000 Muslims in the town of Srebrenica in 1995 before the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Mr. Nikolic, an assistant intelligence commander in the Bratunac Brigade that enveloped a U.N.-declared “safe area” in Srebrencica, admitted participating in Serb army meetings in July 1994, where the Serb forces discussed plans to execute the Muslims. In a signed statement Nickoic admitted discussing the operation to transport the women and children to Kladanj and separate, detail and kill the healthy Muslim men in Potocari. In exchange for his guilty pea and his agreement to testify against three other former commanders in the Bosnian Serb army who are accused of crimes at Srebrenica during the 1992-95 war, prosecutors have agreed to dismiss four other charges. In particular, Nikolic has agreed to testify against Vidoje Blagojevic, Dragan Obrenovic and Dragan Jokic. The ICTY judges must decide whether to accept the plea and, if they, do how to sentence Nicolic while then prosecutors said they would request a 15-to-20-year sentence, the defense said it would recommend 10 year.