A Bosnian Muslim woman was jailed on Monday for the wartime murders of Croat civilians and prisoners of war, in the country's first conviction of a woman for crimes committed during the 1992-1995 conflict. Rasema Handanovic, 39, a single mother had pleaded guilty to the killings of six Bosnian Croats during an attack on a village in 1993. The judge, Jasmina Kosovic said that Handanovic had been the victim of a wartime rape before committing the crimes and had lost several family members in the conflict. The sentence was five and a half years in prison after she struck a plea bargain. A spokesperson for the prosecution had this to say: "In accordance with the agreement proposed sentence was between 5 and 6 years of imprisonment what has been accepted by the court that sentenced her to 5 years and 6 months. The attack on the village of Trussing happened on April 16, 1993 when 22 persons were killed, of which 18 were civilians, four HVO soldiers who surrendered themselves and more people were wounded, including two children, "Handanovic was accused of taking part in a firing squad-style execution. Handanovic was extradited from the United States to Bosnia; she had been living in Portland Oregon. Two more women are facing war crimes charges at Bosnia's court.
