Plavsic, Biljana (1930–)

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Plavsic, Biljana (1930–)

Serbian politician, president and war criminal. Born July 7, 1930, in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Once known as Bosnia's "Iron Lady," was a leading member of the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a close associate of Radovan Karadzic; was a member of the collective presidency of Serbian republic (Nov 1990–April 1992), then a member of the 3member presidency (May 1992); served as Bosnian Serb president(1996–98); sentenced to 11 years in prison by the World Court at The Hague, for promoting a campaign of murder, rape and torture during the Bosnian war (Feb 2003); then the highest-ranking politician from the former Yugoslavia to be sentenced by the court, had pled guilty on one count of crimes against humanity; her sentence was mitigated by her remorse and her efforts to seek reconciliation after the war; was moved to a Swedish prison (June 2003).