Bosnia war crimes court convicts, sentences first prisoner News
Bosnia war crimes court convicts, sentences first prisoner

[JURIST] The War Crimes Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina [HRW backgrounder] on Friday found Nedjo Samardzic guilty [press release] of committing crimes against humanity and escaping from prison during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and sentenced him to 13 years imprisonment. Samardzic, a Bosnian Serb army leader and convicted murderer who escaped prison in 1992 to join the army, was accused of detaining, torturing, and raping civilians [indictment, PDF; case backgrounder].

Samardzic is the first prisoner to be sentenced by the War Crimes Chamber, which was created in 2005 to relieve the backlog of cases at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website] and eventually assume responsibility for local war crimes prosecution. In February, the War Crimes Chamber ordered the release [JURIST report] of war criminal Dragomir Abazovic due to an insufficient warrant. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.