The appeals chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) partially upheld the trial chamber’s findings in the case of Dragomir Milošević, a former Bosnian Serb Army general, convicted for the crimes committed against civilians of Sarajevo during the second half of the 1992-1995 siege of the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The appeals chamber also granted Milošević’s appeal in part and reduced his sentence from 33 to 29 years’ imprisonment. The Prosecution’s sole ground appeal requesting that Milošević be sentenced to life imprisonment was dismissed in its entirety.

Credit will be giving for the time Milošević already spent in the Detention Unit, where he will also await the President’s decision on the state in which he is to serve the remainder of his sentence. Dragomir Milošević surrendered on 3 December 2004. His trial began on 10 January 2007 and ended in October of the same year.

Dragomir Milošević was the commander of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps (SRK) of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) which encircled and entrapped the city of Sarajevo during the three and half year long conflict. Milošević assumed the command of the SRK from his former superior Stanislav Galić in August 1994 and remained in that position over a 15-month period up to the end of the conflict in November 1995.

Milošević’s predecessor at the command of the SRK, Stanislav Galić was sentenced on appeal to life imprisonment in November 2006.

Since its inception 16 years ago, the Tribunal has indicted 161 persons for war crimes committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The proceedings against 120 individuals have been completed.

Proceedings are currently open for 41 accused with 24 at trial stage, seven awaiting trial judgement and 14 before the Appeals chamber. Zdravko Tolimir is the only remaining Accused in custody, awaiting the commencement of trial. Two accused, Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić, are at large awaiting arrest and transfer to The Hague for trial.