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Bosnia Serb jailed for war crimes Bosnia Serb jailed for war crimes
(40 minutes later)
A Bosnian Serb leader accused of being one of the architects of ethnic cleansing in the Bosnian war has been jailed for 27 years for war crimes.A Bosnian Serb leader accused of being one of the architects of ethnic cleansing in the Bosnian war has been jailed for 27 years for war crimes.
But the UN international tribunal in The Hague acquitted Momcilo Krajisnik of genocide, the most serious charge.But the UN international tribunal in The Hague acquitted Momcilo Krajisnik of genocide, the most serious charge.
The tribunal said there was "insufficient evidence" to prove the genocide charges. Krajisnik is a former speaker of the Bosnian Serb parliament and was a close aide to ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who is still on the run.
It has only handed down two genocide convictions for Bosnian Serb officers involved in the Srebrenica massacre. The court said there was "insufficient evidence" to prove genocide charges.
The judge said Krajisnik was part of a joint criminal enterprise which carried out the extermination, murder, persecution and deportation of non-Serbs during the Bosnian war between 1992 and 1995.
'Very powerful'
Prosecutors had called for a life sentence against Krajisnik.
Momcilo Krajisnik is the highest-ranking Bosnian Serb politician so far to be tried for war crimes Profile: Momcilo Krajisnik
The court heard that Krajisnik helped arm Bosnian Serb civilians so that they could exterminate non-Serbs and drive them from large areas of Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Krajisnik said he knew nothing of the war crimes. But former Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Biljana Plavsic testified that he was "very powerful" and at times he had even "dominated" the overall leader, Radovan Karadzic.
The judgement said Krajisnik, along with the tribunal's two top fugitives, Mr Karadzic and his general Ratko Mladic, led an ethnic cleansing campaign as part of a plan for a Greater Serbia.
Krajisnik testified for weeks in his own defence during the trial, claiming he was a peacemaker and that he was unaware of any crimes.
So far, the UN court in the Hague has handed down only two genocide convictions, both for Bosnian Serb officers who helped organise the Srebrenica massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys.