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Bosnian war criminal jailed

But the defendant, Goran Vasic, was cleared of murdering the country's then deputy prime minister.

Vasic was convicted of evicting Muslim women and children from their homes in Sarajevo during the 1992-95 conflict.

He was also found guilty of jailing more than 30 civilians, most of whom are said to be still missing.

But the court said there was not enough evidence to convict Vasic on charges related to the murder of the Deputy Prime Minister Hakiya Turajlic, in 1993.

Turajlic was shot through the open door of an armoured United Nations vehicle at a Serb checkpoint on the road between Sarajevo and the capital's airport, which was manned by a UN force at the time.

Bosnian courts can prosecute war crimes if they get a go-ahead from the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague.

Vasic's arrest in February 1998 led to protests in Serb areas of Sarajevo.

Relevant Stories

Top war crimes suspect goes on trial (12 Apr 99 | Europe)
Up to '20,000' still missing in Bosnia (23 Jul 98 | Europe)

Internet Links

UN International Criminal Tribunal
Bosnia Net
Bosnia Home Page

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