Thursday, 22 September 2016 - 13:50
Human Rights court: Srebrenica commander not to be prosecuted
The Netherlands does not have to prosecute former Dutchbat commander Thom Karremans for his roll in the fall of Srebrenica in 1995, the European Court for Human Rights ruled on Thursday, ANP reports.
According to the court, the accusation that the Netherlands did not investigate the fall of Srebrenica properly is clearly unfounded. Which is why the court rejected the lawsuit.
The case was taken to the European Court of Human Rights by relatives of three Srebrenica victims last year. The lawyers argued that the Netherlands did not properly investigate Karremans' role in the fall of the enclave due to political pressure and to avoid prosecution. The lawyers also argued that Karremans and his deputy, Rob Franken, are complicit in murder, war crimes and genocide.
In 2013 the Public Prosecutor decided not to prosecute the Dutchbat leaders, because they were not guilty of any crimes. The court of appeal in Arnhem agreed with this verdict last year. And now the European Court of Human Rights does too.