Free Republic

A FORMER Muslim war leader from Bosnia who is serving a 20-year sentence for war crimes in neighbouring Croatia launched a bid as a presidential candidate in next month's Bosnian elections from his jail cell today. Fikret Abdic, who pledged last month to conduct his campaign from prison, kicked off with a statement on high unemployment in Bosnia that was released by his party, the People's Democratic Union (DMZ). "The DNZ program will give the economy and employment a chance to take off," he said, criticising what he called the inertia of the Bosnian leadership. Abdic, 63, who has both...

Bosnian presidential candidate jailed for war crimes A Croatian court sentenced a Bosnian Muslim candidate in October presidential polls in Bosnia to a maximum 20-year jail term for war crimes committed during the Bosnian war. Fikret Abdic was found guilty of "war crimes against the civilian population and prisoners of war" committed around the northwestern Bosnian town of Bihac during the country's 1992-95 war. He was sentenced by a court in the central Croatian town of Karlovac. Abdic was sentenced in connection with the deaths of 121 civilians and three prisoners of war and the wounding of more than 400...

KARLOVAC, Croatia, July 31 (AFP) - A Croatian court on Wednesday sentenced a Bosnian Muslim candidate in October presidential polls in Bosnia to a maximum 20-year jail term for war crimes committed during the Bosnian war. Fikret Abdic was found guilty of "war crimes against the civilian population and prisoners of war" committed around the northwestern Bosnian town of Bihac during the country's 1992-95 war. He was sentenced by a court in the central Croatian town of Karlovac. Abdic was sentenced in connection with the deaths of 121 civilians and three prisoners of war and the wounding of more than...

SARAJEVO, July 23 (AFP) - A Bosnian Muslim politician who is on trial for war crimes in neighbouring Croatia is to be allowed to run for a seat on the three-member Bosnian presidency in elections next October, the country's election commission said on Tuesday. The decision came as a surprise since the commission had earlier ruled that the Muslim, former wartime leader Fikret Abdic, was ineligible since he had not surrendered voluntarily to the Croatian court. However Abdic's Democratic People's Union (DNZ) had later submitted documents proving that he did surrender to voluntarily to the Croatian authorities, officials said. Abdic...