Slobodan Praljak
UPDATE: Slobodan Praljak has died after he drank liquid from a flask while listening to his sentencing in a UN court.
Slobodan Praljak, was one former Bosnian Croat political and military leaders during the Croat–Bosniak War, appeared to drink POISON during an appeal hearing at The Hague. He served as general in the Croatian Army and the Croatian Defence Council, an army of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia.
Praljak was appealing his sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment in 2013 for alleged war crimes in East Mostar when the incident took place.
On hearing that his sentence had been upheld Praljak told the judge: “I have taken poison”. After drinking the poison, he told the court: “I am not a war criminal, I oppose this conviction.”
The hearing was suspended and the presiding judge called for a doctor.
There is no confirmed info about Praljak’s state of health.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established by the United Nations in 1993. Praljak and five other Bosnian Croat political and military leaders was convicted in 2013 of persecuting, expelling and murdering Muslims during Bosnia’s war.
#Balkans | This is how some face their past. Apparently, Bosnian Croat has taken poison during his verdict in the #ICTY. Yet his verdict stays the same – 20 years imprisonment. The court has adjourned. pic.twitter.com/F69sYdFhUx
— Dragoş Ioniţă (@DragosIonita) 29 November 2017
