Abstract
This paper analyses the role of remorse and apology in international criminal trials by juxtaposing two prominent cases of convicted war criminals Biljana Plavsic and Esad Landžo. Plavsic was the first and only Bosnian Serb political leader to plead guilty before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Her acknowledgement of guilt and purported remorse expressed during her ICTY proceedings was celebrated as a milestone for both the ICTY and the Balkans. However, she later retracted her remorse while serving her prison sentence. Landžo was a guard at the notorious Celebici detention camp and did not acknowledge his guilt publicly during his ICTY trial. Seven years after his release from prison, Landžo personally confronted survivors and apologised to them. Through comparison of these two widely different cases, we illustrate varying roles criminal trials can play in offender’s reflection on his/her crimes (instrumental remorse versus catalytic role) and how relevance and resonance of war criminal’s remorse in and outside of the courtroom depend on how remorse is expressed and to whom (in abstracto during criminal proceedings versus personally face to face).
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
