ICTY: Acquittal of Momčilo Perišić
Today, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has acquitted Momčilo Perišić, former Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army.
Mr. Perišić was accused of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war.
On 6 September 2011, the Trial Chamber found Mr. Perišić guilty of aiding and abetting a military campaign of crimes committed between August 1993 and November 1995 in the Bosnian towns of Sarajevo and Srebrenica.
The Trial Chamber also found Mr. Perišić guilty as a superior for failing to punish subordinates for the shelling of civilian areas in the city of Zagreb, on 2 and 3 May 1995, which resulted in the death and wounding of civilians.
Mr. Perišić was sentenced to 27 years of imprisonment.
The Appeals Chamber found that evidence on the record did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Perišić specifically directed assistance towards crimes committed in Sarajevo and Srebrenica or possessed effective control over soldiers at the time of Zagreb’s shelling.
In particular, the Appeals Chamber noted evidence that Mr. Perišić instructed that the shelling of Zagreb cease, but that this instruction was not followed.
Mr. Perišić will be released with immediate effect.
