Prosecution Opening Statements - Mladić (Part 1) - 17 May 2012

Ratko Mladić, former Commander of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) Main Staff, stands accused of genocide and a multitude of crimes committed against Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb civilians in Bosnia and Herzegovina from May 1992 to late 1995.

The indictment alleges that forces under Mladić's command committed genocide, amongst other crimes, when they summarily executed over 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995.

Mladić is also charged with genocide for crimes committed in eastern and north western Bosnia and Herzegovina. The indictment lists over 70 incidents of murder in 20 municipalities. The indictment also alleges that these forces tortured, mistreated and physically, psychologically and sexually abused civilians confined in 58 detention facilities in 22 municipalities. Mladić is also facing charges for the shelling and sniping of Sarajevo, during which thousands of civilians were killed and wounded.

According to the indictment, Mladić committed these and other crimes as part of a joint criminal enterprise whose objective was to eliminate or permanently remove Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb inhabitants from large areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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