UN court convicts 6 Bosnian Croats of atrocities

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - A United Nations court has convicted six Bosnian Croat political and military leaders of persecuting, expelling and murdering Muslims during Bosnia's war as part of a plan supported by leaders in neighboring Croatia to establish a Croat state in Bosnia.

The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal convictions Wednesday underscored Croatia's involvement in Bosnia's 1992-95 conflict.

A majority of the three-judge panel says that late-Croat President Franjo Tudjman was a key member of a plan to carve out a Croat ministate in Bosnia with the aim of later uniting it with his country to create a greater Croatia or leaving it as a separate independent state.

The court handed down sentences ranging from 10 to 25 years' imprisonment for the six suspects.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.