Former Serb soldier sentenced for war crimes News
Former Serb soldier sentenced for war crimes

The Belgrade Higher Court on Monday sentenced former Serb soldier Ranka Tomic to five years in prison for allegedly participating in the torture and execution of a Bosnian nurse during the 1992 war.

While in this verdict some judges requested a seven-year sentence, Tomic instead received five years. She can appeal at an undisclosed time.

The court added four new judges earlier this month, and they have taken a proactive stance on the prosecution of alleged war criminals. Two weeks ago, another former soldier received six years in prison for his role in the 1990s conflict.

The Higher Court, also called The Supreme Court of Cassation, is Serbia’s highest court, comprising 45 judges and seeing cases of last resort. Until 2017 cases concerning the Balkan Wars were heard by International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia based in The Hague, but this court has since dissolved in favor of local jurisdictions. At the time of the court’s closure, 13 untried Serbs were transferred to the Belgrade Higher Court. In the future, cases regarding the war and its crimes will be tried here.