This case summary is part of a collection of summaries describing the cases before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). See the Online Resource Hub pages on the ICTY and International Criminal Law, and the table of ICTY case summaries for additional information.
Obrenović (IT-02-60/2) “Srebrenica”
Trial Judgment: 10 December 2003
Dragan Obrenović, the chief of staff and deputy commander of a brigade of the Drina Corps of the Bosnian Serb army, stood trial for having allegedly committed, planned, instigated, ordered or otherwise aided and abetted in complicity to commit genocide, murder, and persecution of Bosnian Muslims in the Srebrenica and Zvornik areas, as part of the Srebrenica genocide. The prosecution accused him, under theories of individual and superior criminal responsibility and membership and of having knowingly participated in a joint criminal enterprise, of complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity for murder, persecutions, and inhumane acts, and violations of the laws or customs of war for murder.
In 2003, the Trial Chamber accepted Obrenović’s guilty plea for crimes against humanity for persecutions and considered as mitigating factors that Obrenović fully cooperated with the prosecution, that during the war Obrenović provided help to several Bosnian Muslims who he did not previously know, and that he voluntarily surrendered. The Trial Chamber sentenced Obrenović to 17 years’ imprisonment.