Bosnian serb paramilitary leader gets 45 years for war crimes

The "Monster of Grbavica" was sentenced to 45 years in prison for crimes he perpetrated against Sarajevo civilians during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.Veselin Vlahovic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb paramilitary, showed no reaction as he was sentenced for war crimes including murder, rape, torture and the imprisonment of Muslim and Croat civilians in the Grbavica region, RT reported.Members of victims' families cheered when the verdict was read.Vlahovic pleaded not guilty when the trial began in April 2011 but by the end 112 witnesses had testified, including women he had raped. During the trial he insulted a local journalist in court and sent a threatening letter to one witness' family.His conviction resulted in the harshest punishment of war criminals who fought in the Bosnian war, which claimed roughly 100,000 lives and turned two million people into refugees.