UN tribunal reverses convictions of 3 Bosnian Croats

The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today reversed the convictions and ordered the immediate release of three Bosnian Croats who had been sentenced last year for crimes against humanity.

The appeals judgment found that the evidence against two brothers, Zoran and Mirjan Kupreskic - who had been sentenced respectively to 10 and 8 years' imprisonment - was inadequate. Additional evidence admitted on appeal against a cousin of the Kupreskic brothers, Vlatko Kupreskic, demonstrated that circumstantial evidence used against him could not support his conviction and six-year prison sentence.

The Tribunal also reduced the sentences against two other Bosnian Croats, revising Drago Josipovic's sentence from 15 to 12 years in prison, and changing Vladimir Santic's sentence from 25 to 18 years.

All five had been tried for crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims in the Lasva River Valley on 16 April 1993.