[JURIST] An internal report [text] conducted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia [official website] and released Friday has concluded that UN authorities were not at fault and there was no criminal conduct [press release] in the March 5 suicide [JURIST report] of Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic [ICTY case backgrounder]. The investigation began after Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic [official profile] claimed that UN authorities were responsible for the suicide by failing to prevent it and demanded that a thorough investigation take place [JURIST report]. ICTY vice president Judge Kevin Parker [ICTY profile] stated that there were no signs that Babic would commit suicide.

Babic was convicted in 2004 for his involvement with ethnic cleansing during the Balkan wars instigated by former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic [JURIST news archive], who also died in ICTY custody in March before his trial concluded. Babic was serving a 13-year sentence [JURIST report] after pleading guilty under a plea agreement [text] in exchange for aiding prosecutors in other cases. AP has more.