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War Criminal from Former Yugoslavia to Serve Sentence in Slovakia
Friday 18 December 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 18 (TASR) - Veselin Sljivancanin, a war criminal from the former Yugoslavia, will serve a sentence in Slovakia as of next year, private television channel Markiza reported in its evening newscast on Friday.
According to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, Sljivancanin is liable for a 1991 massacre in the Croatian town of Vukovar, with more than 250 people shot dead in the mass killing.
Markiza reported that, in line with international agreements, ICTY had asked Slovakia to allow for Sljivancanin's serving of his sentence in Slovakia. The country has been chosen on the account of its cultural and linguistic proximity to Sljivancanin.
"However, the regional court must now decide on recognising the decision by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia," said Slovak Justice Minister Viera Petrikova.
"We've received the request concerned, Slovakia is ready to fulfill its international commitments, the penitentiary is ready," added Petrikova.
According to Markiza, Sljivancanin should be placed in a special wing in the prison in Leopoldov (Trnava region). Sljivancanin was sentenced to 17 years in prison in 2007.
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