International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

On 25 May 1993 the United Nations Security Council established the ad hoc International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), to prosecute persons responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former yugoslavia since 1991. As such, the ICTY was the first war crimes court created by the UN and the first international war crimes tribunal since the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals. The tribunal was located in The Hague.

The Tribunal has shown that an individual’s senior position can no longer protect them from prosecution. It proved that the mass atrocity in Srebrenica was in fact an act of genocide. The tribunal has shown an objective and impartial approach as it has investigated and brought charges against persons from every ethnic background.

The ICTY indicted 161 individuals. A total number of 90 individuals was convicted, while 18 were acquitted. In 20 cases the prosecutor found reasons to withdraw the indictment, while 17 individuals died pending the trial. Furthermore, 13 cases were referred to national jurisdictions, while 3 cases are ongoing.

The ICTY was called upon to finish its work by 31 December 2014 and formally closed in December 2017. The Tribunal's remaining judicial work rests with the  International Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals.