Former Bosnia Serb soldier sentenced to 7 years for war crimes

Bosnian Court finds Radovan Veljovic guilty of raping woman during widespread, systematic attack by Bosnian Serb forces

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - A Bosnia and Herzegovina court on Friday sentenced former Bosnian Serb soldier Radovan Veljovic to seven years in prison for committing war crimes during the 1992-1995 war in the country.

The court said that Veljovic, as a member of the Republika Srpska Army (VRS), was found guilty of raping a Bosniak civilian woman in the Foca region during the war.

Veljovic was also ordered to pay his victim 32,000 Bosnian marks (around $17,000).

He was also found guilty of being a part of a large and systematic offensive by Republika Srpska's military, paramilitary, and police forces in the country.

The war crimes indictment against Veljovic was filed on Sept. 17, 2021.

The Bosnian War was sparked by the break-up of Yugoslavia, which led Bosnia to declare independence in February 1992.

Its capital, Sarajevo, came under attack from Bosnian Serb militias, backed by the Yugoslav army, in what became the longest siege in modern history.

Kaynak: