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REGISTRY
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The Hague, 25 April 2008
VE/MOW/1243e
Mladen Naletilić Transferred To Italy To Serve Sentence
Mladen Naletilić was yesterday transferred to Italy to serve his sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims in the Mostar area of Bosnia and Herzegovina from April 1993 to January 1994.
Naletilić, also known as Tuta, was the founder and commander of the Convicts’ Battalion, a military unit within the Croatian Defence Council (HVO).
On 31 March 2003, Naletilić was convicted for persecutions, unlawful labour, torture, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, unlawful transfer of civilians, wanton destruction and plunder.
Among other things the Trial Chamber found that Naletilić repeatedly committed torture, cruel treatment and willfully caused great suffering of Bosnian Muslims in Doljani, at the Tobacco Institute in Mostar and at the Heliodrom detention center. He was personally involved in the forcible removal of about 400 Muslims from Sovići and Doljani villages after which he ordered that all Muslim houses be burnt down. In addition, he used prisoners of war to perform forced labour in the vicinity of his villa.
Naletilić was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. His co-accused in this case, Vinko Martinović, was sentenced to 18 years’. Naletilić’s sentence was confirmed on 3 May 2006 by the Appeals Chamber.
A case information sheet providing an overview of the case can be found on the Tribunal’s website at:
http://www.icty.org/x/cases/naletilic_martinovic/cis/en/cis_naletilic_martinovic_en.pdf
The Tribunal indicted 161 persons for serious violations of humanitarian law committed on the territory of former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001. Proceedings against 113 have been concluded.
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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