MOSCOW, November 16 – RAPSI. On December 12, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will announce the sentence imposed on retired General of the Bosnian Serb Army Zdravko Tolimir, who could face life imprisonment for organizing the Srebrenica massacre in the summer of 1995, according to the ICTY press release.

Tolimir was the highest ranking officer after leader of the Bosnian Serbs Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic, accused of war crimes in Bosnian and Herzegovina. During the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tolimir was Mladic’s assistant and was in charge of reconnaissance and security.

Tolimir was charged with eight counts, including genocide, multiple murder, persecutions and deporting Muslims from Srebrenica and Zepa by force from July to November 1995. The prosecutors claim that Tolimir was Mladic’s closest ally and should be held responsible for taking part in the genocide of Srebrenica and Zepa’s Muslim population. They demand that he be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Experts believe that during the operation by the Bosnian Serb Army headed by Mladic, over 8,000 Muslims were killed in Srebrenica in July 1995. The city’s was besieged and shooting of the city’s male population ensued; this was one of the bloodiest episodes of the Bosnian War. The ICTY and the International Court of Justice has classified the acts of violence as genocide.

Tolimir was arrested in Bosnia and Herzegovina on May 31, 2007, and was delivered to a detention unit at the Hague the following day. The trial against him began in February 2010. During his time at the investigative isolation ward, the retired general complained of inhumane treatment on numerous occasions.