Convicted of war crime poisoned during trial

Slobodan Praljak was sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity during the Bosnian War

Former Bosnian-Croat leader  Slobodan Praljak  was poisoned during his trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia ( ICTY ) on Wednesday and died. Seconds after hearing the sentence that sentenced him to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity during the Bosnian War , the defendant brought a bottle to his mouth. "I just took poison," he said.

Immediately the judge ordered the court session to be adjourned. According to reporters from international agencies who were in court, an ambulance was called to the scene. Praljak, however, did not resist. The death of the former Bosnian leader was officially confirmed by Croatian Prime Minister  Andrej Plenkovic. 

Praljak had already been convicted in 2013 of having persecuted, expelled and murdered Muslims during the Bosnian War, one of the most traumatic of the twentieth century. He was held responsible for the destruction of the Old Bridge in 1993 in the historic center of the city of Mostar, which, according to the judges, caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim populations.