Vidoje Blagojevic
Encyclopedia
Vidoje Blagojević is a former commander of the Bratunac Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army who is serving a 15 year sentence for his involvement in the Srebrenica massacre
. In January 2005 the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
found him guilty of engaging in genocide
and other war crime
s and sentenced him to 18 years in prison. On May 9 the ICTY's appeals court reversed the genocide conviction and reduced his sentence to 15 years. He is a Bosnian Serb.
During the course of the Bosnian War
, Blagojević rose through the ranks of the Army of Republika Srpska
. As a member of the Bratunac Brigade, he participated in the securing and eventual capture of the Srebrenica safe area.
He was captured on August 10, 2001 and soon interred at the Tribunal at The Hague
. Blagojević was tried along with Dragan Jokić. Both pleaded not guilty. Blagojević was eventually found guilty of five of his six charges, while he was acquitted of the charge of extermination as a crime against humanity.
On 25 January 2008, Blagojević was transferred to Norway
to serve his prison sentence.
Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing, during the Bosnian War, of more than 8,000 Bosniaks , mainly men and boys, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of...
. In January 2005 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...
found him guilty of engaging in genocide
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...
and other war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s and sentenced him to 18 years in prison. On May 9 the ICTY's appeals court reversed the genocide conviction and reduced his sentence to 15 years. He is a Bosnian Serb.
During the course of 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...
, Blagojević rose through the ranks of the Army of Republika Srpska
Army of Republika Srpska
The Army of Republika Srpska ; Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian Vojska Republike Srpske ) also referred to as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of today's Republika Srpska which was then the "Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina", a self-proclaimed state within the internationally recognized...
. As a member of the Bratunac Brigade, he participated in the securing and eventual capture of the Srebrenica safe area.
He was captured on August 10, 2001 and soon interred at the Tribunal at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. Blagojević was tried along with Dragan Jokić. Both pleaded not guilty. Blagojević was eventually found guilty of five of his six charges, while he was acquitted of the charge of extermination as a crime against humanity.
On 25 January 2008, Blagojević was transferred to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to serve his prison sentence.