Former Croatian General Ante Gotovina has been sentenced to 24 years imprisonment by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the former Yugoslavia for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in 1995 against the Serb population in Croatia. Gotovina, for which the prosecution requested 27 years in prison, has maintained his innocence during the trial and the defense argued that the former general gave orders to his subordinates to prevent crimes against Serb civilians.
Former Croatian General, 55, was arrested by Spanish police in late 2005 on the Canary island of Tenerife. The ICC said Gotovina guilty to unlawful attacks, killings, deportations, and looting committed in the Krajina region by the end of the 1991-1995 war, when Croatia fought to gain independence from Yugoslavia and Serbia against an insurgency.
The UN court also sentenced the general Mladen Markac, 55, who was commander of a special police force in the region. Markac was sentenced to 18 years in prison. By contrast, the CFI was acquitted of all charges to General Ivan Cermak, 61, who was commander of a garrison where Croatian Krajina Croatian leaders carried out their campaign of ethnic cleansing against Serbs in the region.
From Zagreb, Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, described the verdict as "unacceptable", while thousands of people were concentrated in the center of the capital to show their dismay. Gotovina defenders broke to mourn in Ben Jelacic Square when they heard the news of 24 years in prison.
It then began chanting "Vukovar, Vukovar", referring to the Croatian city devastated by Serb forces in 1991 and whose suffering of civilians nobody has been convicted so far. 
Former Croatian General, 55, was arrested by Spanish police in late 2005 on the Canary island of Tenerife. The ICC said Gotovina guilty to unlawful attacks, killings, deportations, and looting committed in the Krajina region by the end of the 1991-1995 war, when Croatia fought to gain independence from Yugoslavia and Serbia against an insurgency.
The UN court also sentenced the general Mladen Markac, 55, who was commander of a special police force in the region. Markac was sentenced to 18 years in prison. By contrast, the CFI was acquitted of all charges to General Ivan Cermak, 61, who was commander of a garrison where Croatian Krajina Croatian leaders carried out their campaign of ethnic cleansing against Serbs in the region.
From Zagreb, Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, described the verdict as "unacceptable", while thousands of people were concentrated in the center of the capital to show their dismay. Gotovina defenders broke to mourn in Ben Jelacic Square when they heard the news of 24 years in prison.
It then began chanting "Vukovar, Vukovar", referring to the Croatian city devastated by Serb forces in 1991 and whose suffering of civilians nobody has been convicted so far.
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