ICJ allows Croatia's case against Serbia to proceed

The International Court of Justice ruled that it has jurisdiction to examine Croatia’s accusation that Serbia committed genocide (in the Knin region, and in eastern and western Slavonia and Dalmatia) in the 1991-95 war. Croatian sources say that 20,000 Croatians died in the conflict.

Serbia had argued that the court had no jurisdiction to hear Croatia's case because the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was not party to the UN's genocide convention nor a member of the UN when the complaint was filed. Serbia also said that most of the alleged crimes were committed before the current republic was formed.

Even though the ICJ cleared Serbia in February 2007 of direct responsibility for genocide, it said Serbia had broken international law by failing to stop the killings.