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UN court increases Karadzic's sentence to life imprisonment

40-year sentence too little for 'scale and cruelty of crimes'

20 March, 15:49
(ANSA-AP) - THE HAGUE, 20 MAR - United Nations appeals judges have upheld the convictions of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and increased his sentence from 40 years to life imprisonment. Karadzic showed almost no reaction as presiding judge Vagn Joensen of Denmark read out a damning judgment Wednesday that means the 73-year-old former Bosnian strongman will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Joensen said the trial chamber was wrong to impose just a 40-year sentence given what he called the "sheer scale and systematic cruelty" of his crimes. Applause broke out in the public gallery as Joensen passed the new sentence. Separately, the judges rejected a prosecution appeal against Karadzic's acquittal on a second count of genocide in the same war. (ANSA-AP).

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