Photo: ICTY via ReutersA former Bosnian Croat military commander swallowed what he said was poison in a UN war crimes courtroom and died shortly after losing an appeal against his 20-year prison term. The white-bearded Praljak was taken to hospital after drinking from a flask or glass as an ICTY judge read out appeals rulings against him and five other convicted Bosnian Croat war criminals, tribunal spokesman Nenad Golcevski said. "I am not a war criminal. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, whose country was the patron of Bosnian Croat nationalist forces in neighbouring Bosnia's 1992-95 war, said he regretted Praljak's death and offered condolences to his family. A reading of the judgment, which was also ruling on appeals against convictions and sentences against five other Bosnian Croat convicts, resumed more than two hours after Praljak drank the apparent poison.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 29, 2017 18:33 UTC