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The president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Theodor Meron, approved the early release, on the grounds that Pandurevic spent more than nine and a half years in detention, more than two-thirds of his overall sentence.
“Despite the gravity of the crimes Pandurevic was convicted of, the fact that he has served more than two thirds of his sentence and that he showed signs of rehabilitation weigh in favour of his release,” Meron said in his decision.
Pandurevic, who was found guilty of participating in the Srebrenica massacre of 1995 in eastern Bosnia, filed a motion for early release in February, arguing that he served 75 percent of his sentence and demonstrated his rehabilitation.
Pandurevic voluntarily surrendered to the the ICTY in March 2005. His trial ended in January. He condemned the crimes committed in Srebrenica and apologized to the victims and their families in December 2013.
The defense said Pandurevic’s conduct in detention was “exemplary” and that it was common practice for the tribunal to allow the release of all convicted prisoners who have served two-thirds of their sentences.
In connection with verdicts regarding Srebrenica, on January 30 the appeals chamber of the tribunal rejected appeals made by five Bosnian Serb Army officers involved in the Srebrenica massacre.
Former lieutenant colonels Vujadin Popovic and Ljubisa Beara were found guilty of genocide and sentenced to life imprisonment. Former officer Drago Nikolic’s 35-year sentence for his role in assisting and supporting the Srebrenica massacre was confirmed. Radivoje Miletic, a former member of the main headquarters of the Bosnian Serb Army, had his sentence reduced slightly from 19 to 18 years in prison. He was found guilty of the murder, persecution and forcible resettlement of Bosniaks from Srebrenica.
