The Hague, Netherlands
The International Court of Justice opened hearings this week into charges of genocide against Serbia and Montenegro during the 1992–95 war in Bosnia. The case marks the first time the World Court has been asked to rule on genocide alleged against a sovereign state, rather than an individual. Bosnia first brought the charge against what was then Yugoslavia in 1993, when Serbian militias were engaged in a violent ethnic cleansing campaign against Bosnian Muslims. But the matter bogged down in legal wrangling. The case focuses on the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, an event that the World Court has already termed genocide.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.