United Nations appeals judges today upheld most of a Bosnian Serb army general's convictions and his life sentence for involvement in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.
Gen. Zdravko Tolimir smiled and repeatedly crossed himself as Yugoslav war crimes tribunal President Judge Theodor Meron told him that his life sentence was confirmed on appeal.
Tolimir was convicted in December 2012 of genocide and other crimes in the 1995 massacre by Bosnian Serb forces of some 8,000 Muslim men in Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia Europe's worst mass killing since World War II.
Tolimir was a trusted aide of former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic. Witnesses at trial called him Mladic's "right hand. His eyes and ears," judges said in their original judgment.
Meron overturned elements of Tolimir's genocide conviction linked to forcibly transferring Muslims out of the town of Zepa near Srebrenica as well as parts of his convictions for murder and extermination linked to specific small-scale killings.
But he stressed that most of his convictions remained in place.
"In light of these genocide convictions alone, the appeals chamber considers that Tolimir's responsibility does not warrant a revision of his sentence," Meron said.
