Appeal halves Serbian war crimes sentence in 1999

The Court of Appeals has reduced the sentence to Serbian Darko Tasic, sentenced for war crimes during 1999, from 22 years to 11.

In a statement to the media, the Court of Appeals has partially approved the complaint of indictee Darko Tasic's defence side.

“The Court of Appeals found that in the actions of the accused, undertaken during the recent war in Kosovo, specifically between the 25-27 March 1999, all elements of the criminal work “War crimes against the civilian population” by Article 142, regarding Article 22 of the Socialist Republic's Criminal Law of Yugoslavia( LPRSFJ), this work was also sanctioned under the 3rd Geneva Convention and its second protocol<4>.

The accused's “has been sentenced by the Court of Appeals in 11л years of imprisonment, in which his time in custody has been counted. Once ready, the indictment will be sent to the parties according to the pre-lawed procedures and published on the court's official page”.

Family of war victims had protested the low sentences of Tasic even when he was sentenced to 22 years in prison.