The Hague: Slobodan Praljak, 72, died in UN court room after swallowing poison. Praljak is a war criminal accused of ethnic cleansing of Muslims. He took this drastic step of consuming poison after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence. He is a Bosnian Croat war time criminal.,
Praljak said that “I just drank poison, I am not a war criminal, and I oppose this conviction.”
Meanwhile, the court upheld the convictions of Praljak and five other Bosnian Croats. They include Jadranko Prlic, the political leader of the Croatian province of Bosnia, military and police figures Bruno Stojic, Milivoj Petrovic, Valentin Coric and Berislav Pusic.
All the defendants received sentences ranging from 10 to 25 years.
The Judgement was pronounced by International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which was established in 1993. The presiding judge at the pronouncement was Judge Carmel Agius.
The court room suicide created chaotic moments. Guards and paramedics raced in and out of the court room, ambulances were seen leaving the tribunal.