Bosnia: first woman convicted for 1993 war crimes

Sarajevo: A Bosnian Muslim former soldier on Monday became the first woman to be convicted of war crimes by a local court after pleading guilty to killing Croat civilians and prisoners during the 1990s war.

“Rasema Handanovic participated with other members of her unit in the executions of three civilians and three soldiers … The tribunal sentences her to five-and-a-half years in jail,” war crimes court judge Jasmina Kosovic said.

The crimes were committed on April 16, 1993, in the village of Trusina, in southern Bosnia. A total of 18 Croat civilians and four prisoners of war were killed at the time.