Verdicts in Bosnia war rape trial

The International War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague has found three Bosnian Serbs guilty of enslaving, torturing and raping Muslim women during the war in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

It's the first time the tribunal has judged rape as a crime against humanity although such a crime was recognised by the Rwanda war crimes tribunal in 1998.

The three men Dragoljub Kunarac, Radomir Kovac and Zoran Vukovic were convicted of forcing Muslim women and girls into sexual slavery in the town of Foca.

One of their victims was only twelve years old.

Handing down jail sentences ranging from twelve to twenty-eight years, the presiding judge said the tribunal intended to bring to justice those higher up in the chain of command.

Prosecutors said they hoped the outcome of the trial would prove a deterrent in future conflicts.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service