ICJ Rules In Bosnia's Case versus Serbia; Rejects Reparations

The International Court of Justice in The Hague said the massacre of 8,000 men in Srebrenica was genocide, but Belgrade was not directly responsible.
But it said Serbia broke international law by failing to stop the killings.
Serbia's president acknowledged the ruling, and urged parliament to condemn the Srebrenica massacre.
The case was the first of a state being charged with genocide. Individuals have been convicted of genocide in Bosnia.
At least 100,000 people died in the 1992-1995 war, triggered by the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. Bosnia's Muslims and Croats wanted to cut ties with Belgrade, a move opposed by Bosnian Serbs.
The case, Bosnia and Herzegovina versus Serbia and Montenegro, began a year ago.
Bosnia argued that Belgrade incited ethnic hatred, armed Bosnian Serbs and was an active participant in the killings.
Belgrade said the conflict was an internal war between Bosnia's ethnic groups and denied any state role in genocide.
In the ruling, the president of the court, Judge Rosalyn Higgins, said: "The court finds that the acts of genocide at Srebrenica cannot be attributed to the respondent's (Serbia) state organs."
However the court added that the leaders of Serbia failed to comply with its international obligation to prevent the killings and punish those responsible.
The court also rejected Bosnia's claim for reparations.
"Financial compensation is not the appropriate form of reparation," the ruling said.
The war crimes tribunal in The Hague has already found individuals guilty of genocide in Bosnia and established the Srebrenica massacre as genocide.