Bosnian Serb agrees to guilty plea at UN war crimes tribunal

A Bosnian Serb accused of burning down a Muslim village in 1992 has pleaded guilty to crimes against humanity today at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

According to the ICTY, Miroslav Deronjic, a former politician, admitted, in a plea agreement, to one count of "persecution on political, racial and religious grounds as a crime against humanity."

Mr. Deronjic, 49, a former ranking member of the Serbian Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a commander of the local forces in the city of Bratunac, was arrested 7 July 2002 and charged with six counts of crimes against humanity and the violations of the laws of war.

According to the ICTY, the indictment claimed that "on the evening of 8 May 1992 Miroslav Deronjic gave the order to attack the village of Glogova and burn it down."

The ICTY said that forces under Mr. Deronjic's control "entered the village on foot and took control of the village.

"The Bosnian Muslim villagers, who previously had been disarmed, offered no resistance. The attacking forces then allegedly set fire to Bosnian Muslim houses, buildings and the mosque. The Bosnian Muslim portion of the village of Glogova was razed to the ground. Miroslav Deronjic was present during the attack on Glogova," it said.

No date for sentencing was announced.