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| Bosnian Serb 'Iron Lady' released | Bosnian Serb 'Iron Lady' released |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Former Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic has been freed from prison after serving six years for war crimes. | Former Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic has been freed from prison after serving six years for war crimes. |
| The UN war crimes court granted her early release for good behaviour from the 11-year sentence it passed in 2003. | The UN war crimes court granted her early release for good behaviour from the 11-year sentence it passed in 2003. |
| Plavsic, 79, known as the "Iron Lady", was the highest-ranking official from the former Yugoslavia to have pleaded guilty for her part in the Bosnian War. | Plavsic, 79, known as the "Iron Lady", was the highest-ranking official from the former Yugoslavia to have pleaded guilty for her part in the Bosnian War. |
| She left Sweden as soon as she was released from the Swedish prison, officials said. | She left Sweden as soon as she was released from the Swedish prison, officials said. |
| The head of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, Lars Nylen, said Plavsic was "was happy to be released". | |
| He confirmed that she was taken to Arlanda airport, but did not comment on reports that she had flown to Belgrade. | |
| Karadzic ally | Karadzic ally |
| When plans for her early release were announced in September, the president of The Hague tribunal cited good behaviour and "substantial evidence of rehabilitation". | When plans for her early release were announced in September, the president of The Hague tribunal cited good behaviour and "substantial evidence of rehabilitation". |
| During the Bosnian war, Plavsic was known as the "Serbian Iron Lady" because of her hardline nationalism and rabidly anti-Muslim views. | During the Bosnian war, Plavsic was known as the "Serbian Iron Lady" because of her hardline nationalism and rabidly anti-Muslim views. |
| She was also one of the closest allies of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, himself accused of war crimes. | She was also one of the closest allies of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, himself accused of war crimes. |
| Her release came on the second day of his trial, which is due to resume in The Hague. | Her release came on the second day of his trial, which is due to resume in The Hague. |
| Mr Karadzic did not attend on the opening day, and judges urged him to be present. | Mr Karadzic did not attend on the opening day, and judges urged him to be present. |
| In prison, Plavsic wrote a book describing the events that led up to the Bosnian war. | |
| In the book, I Testify, published in 2005, she called on Mr Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic to surrender to the UN court in The Hague. | In the book, I Testify, published in 2005, she called on Mr Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic to surrender to the UN court in The Hague. |
| She described Mr Karadzic as a "coward", but Gen Mladic as a "great man" who "should defend the Serb people and his soldiers before The Hague tribunal even at the cost of sacrificing himself". | She described Mr Karadzic as a "coward", but Gen Mladic as a "great man" who "should defend the Serb people and his soldiers before The Hague tribunal even at the cost of sacrificing himself". |
| Mr Karadzic was captured in July 2008, but Gen Mladic remains at large. | Mr Karadzic was captured in July 2008, but Gen Mladic remains at large. |