The world at a glance . . . Europe

The Hague

War criminal freed: The U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has approved early release from prison for Biljana Plavsic, a former Bosnian Serb president who confessed to persecuting Croats and Muslims during the 1992­–95 Bosnian war. Plavsic, 79, will be freed next month after serving two-thirds of her 11-year sentence for crimes against humanity. Bosnian Croats and Muslims expressed outrage. “This proves that the world approves genocide and aggression,” said Bakira Hasecic, head of an association of war rape victims. “Thousands died because of her, but still she has the right to spend the rest of her life in freedom.” At least 100,000 people died in the war, mostly Bosnian Muslim civilians.

Rome

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Molester priests: Seven years after the scandal over Catholic priests’ abuse of children shook the church in the U.S., Italy has begun to prosecute its own abusive priests. In 2002, as the scandal raged in the U.S., a top Italian bishop said abuse was so rare in Italy that it wasn’t worth investigating. But now, an estimated 75 Italian priests stand accused of abuse by some 235 victims. “There is a change of mentality, and we find that to be very positive,” said Monsignor Charles Scicluna, a Vatican prosecutor who handles cases of priestly sex abuse. One beatification process for an Italian bishop being considered for sainthood was put on hold after several men testified that the bishop had raped them in their youth.

Moscow

Stalin offspring sues for libel: Josef Stalin’s grandson is suing a Russian newspaper for printing an article about the Soviet dictator’s crimes. Yevgeny Dzhugashvili alleges in a lawsuit that Novaya Gazeta libeled Stalin in an article that discussed Stalin’s “death lists” and his “crimes against his own people.” The court battle will be closely watched, as it’s far from clear what stance the Kremlin will take. Russians are divided over Stalin’s legacy. Many condemn him as a criminal for his brutal collectivization programs and purges, which killed millions. Others—particularly the elderly, who grew up under his personality cult—revere him for transforming Russia from a rural backwater into a superpower.