Milomir Stakic
Encyclopedia
Milomir Stakić is a Bosnian Serb who was charged with genocide
, complicity in genocide, violations of the customs of war and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) for his actions in the Prijedor
region during the Bosnian War
.
In the 1991 elections he became Vice-President of the Prijedor Municipal Assembly as a member of the Serbian Democratic Party
. He soon established a parallel Serb shadow government in the region. This local government helped establish several concentration camps for local Bosniaks
and Croats
.
He faced eight charges in all, ranging from genocide and extermination, to deportation and persecution in the form of destroying local villages as well as mosques and Catholic churches. He was eventually found guilty of five charges, while being acquitted of personal responsibility in the genocide. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but through the appeals process reduced his sentence to forty years.
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, complicity in genocide, violations of the customs of war and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
(ICTY) for his actions in the Prijedor
Prijedor
Prijedor is a city and municipality in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Bosanska Krajina region....
region during the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
.
In the 1991 elections he became Vice-President of the Prijedor Municipal Assembly as a member of the Serbian Democratic Party
Serbian Democratic Party
The Serbian Democratic Party is a political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is led by Mladen Bosić...
. He soon established a parallel Serb shadow government in the region. This local government helped establish several concentration camps for local Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
and Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
.
He faced eight charges in all, ranging from genocide and extermination, to deportation and persecution in the form of destroying local villages as well as mosques and Catholic churches. He was eventually found guilty of five charges, while being acquitted of personal responsibility in the genocide. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but through the appeals process reduced his sentence to forty years.