For those old enough to remember, the series of civil wars brought about by the break up of communist Yugoslavia (the next time someone mouths “diversity is strength” or some other related claptrap, refer them to Yugoslavia) were replete with the kind of internecine slaughter that has been a trademark of the Balkans for a millennium or so. Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks, and Kosovars heartily and enthusiastically butchered one another and studiously set about to create ethnically pure polities by driving ethnic minorities, or, in some cases, ethnic majorities out of their homes and out of the territory.

Under UN Security Council Resolution 827, approved in 1993, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established. It has been perking along since then. Just before Thanksgiving the aptly named Ratko Mladić was convicted, some 25 years after the fact, of war crimes and sentenced to life in prison.

Today, a Bosnian Croat named Slobodan Praljak was in court to hear the results of his appeal of a 2013 conviction for numerous atrocities.

Slobodan Praljak, also known as “Brada”, son of Mirko was born on 1 or 2 January 1945, in the town of Capljina, in Capljina municipality, SRBiH. According to the Indictment, on about 14 March 1992, Slobodan Praljak became Assistant Minister of Defence for the Republic of Croatia, and worked closely with the Minister of Defence, Gojko Susak. On 10 September 1992, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman appointed him to be one of 14 members of the Republic of Croatia’s Council of National Defence, and he remained in this position until at least 15 June 1993. On 13 May 1993, Praljak was named to the Republic of Croatia’s state commission for relations with the United Nations Protection Force (“UNPROFOR”).

From approximately March 1992 to July 1993, Praljak served simultaneously as a senior Croatian Army officer, Assistant Minister of Defence and senior representative of the Croatian Ministry of Defence to the “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO government and armed forces. According to the Indictment, he served as a conduit for orders, communications and instructions from President Franjo Tudjman, Gojko Susak and other senior officials of Croatia to the “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO government and armed forces, and reported to and kept Croatia’s senior officials informed of developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During this period, it is alleged that he played a prominent role in securing weapons and ammunition for the “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO armed forces.

He directly and indirectly commanded “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO foces and operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Indictment states that from approximately 24 July 1993 to 9 November 1993, he served as top overall military commander of “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO armed forces. In his various positions and functions, Praljak excercised de jure and/or de facto command and control over “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO forces. At times relevant to the Indictment, he exercised effective control and substantial influence over “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO armed forces (including the operative zone commanders). The Indictment alleges that he was responsible for the management, organisation, planning, preparation, training, discipline, supply, deployment and operational, strategic and combat orders. He also had command authority over the “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO civilian police, when they acted under or in coordination with the “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO armed forces during times of armed conflict. He was closely involved in all aspects of “Herceg-Bosna”/HVO military planning and operations.

He had been sentenced to 20-year imprisonment. Praljak has been in custody since 2004 and he’s 72 years old. When the court told him the sentence stood as rendered, this happened:

In a dramatic turn of events, former Bosnian Croat General Slobodan Praljak appeared to drink what he said was poison at the ICTY. pic.twitter.com/V3yZLW5sBT

— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) November 29, 2017

Initial news stories carried the word poison in quotation marks as if he were bluffing but he has, in fact, died:

BREAKING: Сroatian general #SlobodanPraljak has died after taking poison at war crimes court in The Hague – what an end!! #Bosnia pic.twitter.com/nIXOyqXNVF

— AlSaidy (@alsa3idy) November 29, 2017