Bosnian Serb Pleads Innocent in Genocide Case
A Bosnian Serb general accused of masterminding the 1995 massacre of thousands of Muslim civilians pleaded not guilty Monday to genocide and crimes against humanity.
Gen. Radislav Krstic, the top Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect in U.N. custody, commanded Bosnian Serb troops who carried out the killings in the U.N.-protected “safe haven” of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia.
He listened quietly as his 13-page indictment was read at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in the Netherlands, then calmly responded, “I plead not guilty.”
Krstic, who was arrested Wednesday, faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted of genocide or any of the other five charges.
Krstic, reportedly a close associate of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his wartime military leader, Gen. Ratko Mladic, is accused of helping to plan and carry out the 1995 massacre of thousands of Muslims in Srebrenica.
Karadzic and Mladic also face charges, but neither is in custody.
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