Accused Bosnian war criminal acquitted

A Bosnian court on Monday acquitted a former army leader of war crimes during the 1990s Balkan conflict. Naser Oric faced accusations of war crimes against three Serbian prisoners murdered in villages around the town of Srebrenica during the early days of the conflict. The presiding judges ruled the prosecution did not present sufficient evidence against Oric. Many Bosnian Muslims deem Oric a hero for defending Srebrenica during the conflict that lasted from 1992 to 1995. Serb forces in 1995 massacred 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II. Serbian leaders criticized the ruling as a disregard for justice. Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin said the ruling “threatens security, trust, and reconciliation in the whole of the Balkans.” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the ruling proves Serbs have to fight for justice themselves but called on Serbs not to “utter a hard word” against their neighbors.