thank you for joining us. i'm richelle carey. the news continues next live from london. keep it here. ♪ a u.n. court sentences former bosnia 30 years prison for genocide and war crimes. i'm lauren taylor and this is al jazeera live from london and also coming up, police reported to be seeking a second suspect in the brussels metro bombing. pushing back i.s.i.l. syrian forces fight their way to the gates of the ancient city of palmyra. video emerges which appears to show israeli soldier dead a

palestinian attacker and working to save the orangutan believe they found a new species of the animal. ♪ hello, the former bosnea-karadzec40 year sentence after being guilty of genocide and it was against bosnia in 92 and there was another in 1995 massacre which 8,000bosnia and muslim boys and men were killed and guilty of crimes of humanity during the siege of secevo and responsible for murder, persecution and hostage taking and war crimes include holding thousands in camps in appalling conditions and how the judge delivered his verdict. >> the chamber finds that

extermination and persecution were foreseeable to the accused. the underlying acts of persecution which are foreseeable were cruel treatment, forcible labor, labor at the front lines, the use of no non-serbs of human shield and property and want and destruction of private property including cultural and sacred sites. >> he was a former camp prisoner in omaska and his reaction to the verdict. >> i'm very glad this man finally got what he deserved and obviously 10 of 11 counts are proven meaning that what he created back in 92-95 he served the public based on ethnic cleansing and blood was what was his goal but honestly i hope that this sentence will also

mean something for people in bosnia because many people deny what happened and people deny war crimes and hope this will not be only a paper decision but mean something for reconciliation in the country. >> emma hayward is at the hague with the latest. >> reporter: inside the court it was a mixture of calm and tension, many of the victims' families traveled from bosnia to be here and they waited about an hour and 40 minutes for the judge delivering his findings before giving that verdict. ten out of the 11 charges karadzic was guilty of on the massacre where thousands of muslim men and boys were killed. he sat impassively as the verdict was readout and we will get more and speak to his legal advisor peter robinson who joins me now and you have spoken to mr. karadzic and what was his reaction to the verdict? >> disappointed and astonish of

the trial chamber they used to convict him and asked to appeal the conviction and will be doing that. >> he has not shown remorse for what happened all those years ago has he? >> a lot of remorse for suffering of victims and doesn't feel he is legally responsible for any crimes. >> reporter: do you think he was surprised by the verdict because earlier this week it was reported in the balkin media he expected to be acquitted here today? >> i think he was hoping that would happen but he was also not surprised if it did not. >> reporter: now the appeals process begins, can you tell me how that will take place and length of time it's likely to take. >> it's a three-year process and the tribunal has estimated written briefs filed and oral hearing that will last about one day and then the judges will summon us back and deliver the final judgment in the case. >> reporter: can i ask you what it was like being inside the

courtroom today being among the victims' families with mr mr. karadzic. >> it was very sad actually and nobody has really won from today's judgment. >> reporter: okay well peter robinson thank you very much for joining us here on al jazeera. so karadzic sentenced 40 years in prison, eight of which he has already served and some people here who traveled from bosnia say the sentence is still too short. professor in transitional justice and criminal law at the university of serebo and is joining us from skype and what is your response to the verdict? >> well good evening, i think that the verdict is pretty much i wouldn't be surprised it was in a different way. i think that the three major things could be seen in this verdict. first of all, it's a tremendous amount of data that we can use

to establish the facts about what has happened in bosnia, if ever the day comes when bosnia is forgiven. second this verdict shows that those events and those killings and the atrocities didn't happen by accident. obviously those events were a part of the organized policy backed up with ideology that has a clear mark, clear at the end, mr. karadzic was on top of the pyramid. and the third important thing with a mistake and please correct me but i have it here today that this verdict clearly shows that the responsibility for such atrocities cannot be reduced in an individual responsibility. no matter if mr. karadzic

sentenced 40 years of prison or sentenced for life nothing can substantially change the lives of the society in bosnia for the victims. >> his lawyer said he is going to appeal the verdict. just on the point some serbs feel the u.n. tribunal is used to target serbs and could be responsible for deaths during the war, what is your response to that? >> if the serbs or bosnia could find any person that was found guilty and indeed was not guilty and innocent sent to jail i will be the first one who will stand in front of the court and protest it until that person is not -- is sent free. all those who are set in the jail have committed the crimes i don't know what they are talking about. >> thank you very much indeed. sorry to interrupt you but we are going straight to a live event and listening to staffan

de mistura the u.n. envoy for syria. >> a wrap up of where we are. a few comments as usual then we take questions envoy thank you very much the floor is yours. >> thank you. good afternoon. i've been thinking, and you will have to forgive me if i tell you things that look more background before i give you the how would i say the punch line, but i've been thinking that it would be fair to share with you also a little bit what is the strategy about the talks so that you can put it into context when you make your own comments or your analysis. so the first point that i think has been leading our strategy on the inter syrian talks is what are the syrians asking us, not

only what is useful, what are the syrian asking us. they have been asking us for a reduction of islands you remember and therefore the priority in mind to protect is the cessation of hostilities and the second priority in mind to protect because they have been asking us and they continue asking us even being demonstrating in favor of that is the humanitarian access, not enough but that is what they have been asking for, cessation of hostilities, not perfect but has been asking for that. so that is what we need to protect. but now comes the next concept in our own strategic approach. you can't sustain a cessation of hostilities in a conflict like the syrian one five years of horror and you can't therefore sustain the humanitarian aid

which is linked to the access thanks to the reduction of violence unless there is a political process. and you can't have a political process which is credible unless there is a vision and a horizon of a political transition as bear 2254. so that is the context in which we are working. and when you look at the inter syrian talks, phase one, phase two, phase three, please at least understand what is the roadmap that we have in mind in order to make it happen. so at this stage the discussions are and were meant to actually keep the momentum and at the same time prepare for the real talks about transition, political transition, political process.

diplomacy is done both in this building and outside and that is how also the cessation of hostilities took place. you remember most of you were with me in the evening in the middle of the rain and i still apologize for that but, you know, very gracious. >> i have not forgotten it i assure you. >> neither do i and i'm so embarrassed frankly when i came out of the hotel and saw you in the rain. but if you think about today and suspension of the talks on that occasion which appeared to be quite dramatic because normally the u.n. never suspends talks, you know. we are in favor of continuing talks. and it did produce awake-up call in the munich meeting and produced two elements, cessation of hostilities process and

humanitarian aspect. so there is a diplomacy here and a diplomacy outside. the two coincide, the two are supposed to support each other and in theory they are supposed to produce also further implement. and perhaps not by coincidence the day when we started this round of talks the russian federation announced the reduction or the withdraw of a presence and perhaps it's not by coincidence while we close the round of talks today while we are talking there are expectation of important discussions in moscow between john kerry and sergei fedorov in which we hope and want to believe are going to be helpful to the next phase. so meanwhile and now we get into the actual analysis of these

talks, i must say i don't know whether you felt the same but i was quite impressed by the fact that both sides behaved very seriously. you must have seen it when they came for being interviewed, very professionally even i say those who we could have expected to not be prepared because they are a new entity like the agency and particularly i must say one or two of them when they spoke were the best and professional o outlook everyone but she in particular responding in english calmly, professionally statement shape. so we kept the momentum waiting for the combination of the two political moments to coincide.

the support to the cessation of hostilities kept and want to remind you and me that sunday would be one month. my friends one month in lebanon we had a ceasefire every 25 minutes, okay. so there is something which has been moving. and no break downs, no workouts and no victimization, personal victimization. true, the focus in particular by the government delegation was extremely focused on the issue about principles in order to be able then to talk about everything else. and on the side of the opposition a very serious list of papers as well but much deeper already on the political process. so the conclusion was we better take this issue about the principles which are important, we can't avoid them because they

are part of the future constitution and even part of the future discussions about political process, take them and put them quite aside. and if we keep them there all the time the next round of talks will not be about political transition or political process. hence my decision to then produce myself a paper that is a standard negotiating facilitator, mediator technique and a paper which is going to be shared with you digitally and nationality why we are talking and everybody to you courtesy of al jazeera i understand. >> and many others. >> i don't know but miraculous and not against it because it's a paper and the u.n. is very transparent and as long as it's not too early because it stops us being able to have a buy in by the various components which

did take place between yesterday and today. and i think by looking at those 12 points you can see that there is a lot of common ground which can be according to my interpretation and of my colleagues by listening to both sides and even to all the stakeholders who have been inviting to be consulted as a serious society, various platforms, even those who came from far away and women associations, that those points are, i would say, a pretty good way for me to look for a common ground. i prefaced it with a paragraph to make sure no one should be feeling that this is a trick or any type of form of trying to push through a new security council resolution or any new

security council discussion related to this. it is what they are, they are an understanding by the facilitator of what could be and we believe are likely to be a common ground. so what is the next steps? well, first of all, i have a feeling that we are being able to overcome this two-week result with any walkouts and drama, victimization and a paper not refused by either side on what could be an understanding of principles which then means next time we take the principle aside and we look now on political process. hopefully building on what we hope between now and then could be the other political and diplomatic discussions which are mutually supported.

so the next time, well, we have been planning to have obviously sooner or later again and isse and security council meeting and it can be itself built on what could be achieved in both diplomatic arenas and to reconvene. i know dates has become an issue. we will not fall into that. as you know very well the -- one of the great things about the proximity talks is that they are dramatically flexible and they have also a rather sort and the new keyword is the so called target date. you must have been familiar with that. so the target date starts on the 9th, on the 10th, it can become the 11th depending on arrivals and if people want to come on the 14th or 13th they are warmly welcome, but we will still start

talking and meeting at the date that we will be indicating ourselves which cannot be matched later than 9:00 or 10:00 in my opinion but could perhaps be the 11th of april because we don't want too much of a gap. circumstances well use us to accelerate or delay, it would be basically on objective criteria and not simply because we have fixed a date and we will keep you informed of course so that you can be here. that is basically where we are. do i have to add few other points. well, let me see. the issue about detainees has become for me a priority even more than before. obviously maintaining the pressure on the sieges lifting or improvement and obviously the maintaining the issue about supporting the sufficient moss

hostilities and expanding and controlling it and ask it be done in the control room in the operation center remains, we can never take anything for granted in this conflict but i think the operation centers have been doing quite a good work in being able to contain. you don't see what has been avoided as often is the case. you see what has been happening but you don't see how many cases have been contained before they became something much worse. and that is thanks to the cooperation of the operation center mainly now in geneva and also in moscow and washington. i would stop there and that will be my concluding point. . >> thank you. >> you are watching news conference with staffan de mistura the u.n. to syria and outlining progress he says has been made at this stage of talks and said they were designed at this point to keep momentum and

has been kept and reminded everyone that sunday will be one month since the cessation of violence started and he was happy there had been so far no walkouts or break downs as he put it and all sides will go away and come back for more talks in april around the 9th, 10th, or 11th on a common paper which contains common ground between all the sides. correspondent is in moscow. and one of the things he mentioned during the news conference is the role of russia and timing of discussions that have been happening like john kerry and sergei fedorov that is going on as the talks conclude. >> reporter: yes, indeed. actually as he was talking john kerry and sergei fedorov and vladimir putin are meeting and we understand that is a meeting that will last about two hours. and i have to say that just as there was a photo op that was broad casted on russian channels

and both vladimir putin and sergei fedorov reflected what staffan de mistura said in the sense that it's going to be a month for the -- since the cessation and a significant reduction in violence and john kerry also saying yes there has been humanitarian aid reaching some communities but it's not enough but hopefully they can continue building on that. i think also you had the feeling here in moscow that really the talks are focusing on the next phase meaning let's get to talk about the political process, about this interim government or sensational government and how to put that in place as quick as possible. so very much echoing what has been said in geneva. >> thank you very much indeed for that live update there from moscow. syrian government forces have entered palmyra in their bid to

retake it from i.s.i.l. the ancient city fell to i.s.i.l. fighters in may last year and recapture would be significant victory for assad forces and we report. >> reporter: the picture is broadcast on syrian state television are said to show a significant advance. syrian government troops fighting to retake historic palmyra from i.s.i.l. state media also showed war planes and helicopters flying overhead as soldiers approached on the ground. while there has been no independent confirmation the syrian observatory for human rights reported fighting continued outside the city on thursday after the syrian army moved to the city outskirts on wednesday. i.s.i.l. captured the city which includes a unesco world heritage site last may and began a campaign of mass executions and destroying ancient sites and strategically between damascus palmyra location makes it a

extremely important one for forces and allies. while russia recently withdraw most forces from syria after six months of aerial bombardment the government of assad recently made advances in rebel held territory. the current offensive coincide with talks in geneva between syria's government and the main opposition group as the u.n. attempts to negotiate a political solution to the civil war. while a ceasefire between forces and rebel factions has significantly reduced violence the cessation of hostilities excludes el nusra and i.s.i.l., i.s.i.s. which has taken territory in neighboring iraq and syria has increasing on two fronts as they commit more troops to a fight each has vowed to win. mohamed with al jazeera. update for you on the belgium attacks, belgium public broadcast vrt said the paris

attacks that salah abdeslam planned the attack in brussels and this is the source of the vrt saying he was behind the attacks in brussels. you remember salah abdeslam one of the suspects who survived and was part of the attacks in paris and escaped on the run for four months before being captured in brussels a few days before the bombs went off and now asked to be extradited to france and belgium police say they are hunting not one but to fugitives they believe is connected to the bomb attacks in brussels and comes as senior ministers offered resignations over failings of the country's intelligence services. from brussels paul brennan reports. >> reporter: how many attackers were involved in the brussels bombings and cct showed two at the airport and two are known to be dead, one on the run. but belgium state media now says there may have been two people involved in the blast at

maalbeek metro station station and a suicide bomber and another man who may still be at large. and as the manhunt widens serious questions are asked of the intelligence services. the background of airport bomb er bra heme el bakraoui should have rung bells and in 2010 he was involved in a violent armed robbery in brussels and shooting the police with a rifle. september 2010 he was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison but in october 2014 he was released on parole and subsequently absconded and the first of elementsi.s.i.l. was 2 arrested on route to syria, a month later he agrees to be voluntarily deported back to netherlands and turkey said it warned both the dutch and belgium authorities that he posed a serious danger. in another round of the

investigation salah abdeslam had cameras outside of the justice on thursday. and is a lam the tenth bomber from paris attacks did not appear in person at the closed court session and the case has been deferred to april 7th. but emerging after the hearing after salah abdeslam's lawyer says the client will no longer resist extradition to paris. >> because i think it's the most important part of the file and i think his extradition he has to give them their in belgium. metro system reopened and passengers making their way back to work and the maalbeek metro station is sealed off but commuters are fearful. >> we have to be careful because they are walking around between us. it's maybe today, it's maybe in a month, it's maybe in one year but they still going on for attacking us. >> reporter: belgium remain at the highest state of alert and the city of brussels is swamped with police and soldiers and was passing the station as the bomb

went out and watched horrified as the dead and wounded were carried out and left a lasting impression only her. >> well you could say we expected this but still i actually never expected this. i've been living in belgium all my life and never really had something like this. >> reporter: one minute of silence here at the force developed into more than five minutes of silent reflection and public opinion here in brussels is also changing from the initial grief and shock to anger at the apparent failings of the police and intelligence services. belgium's interior offered to resign and they were refused by the prime minister. but the chorus of criticism is not going away, paul brennan, al jazeera, brussels. they shot and killed two palestinians who tried to stab

them at a check point in hebron and videos emerged of one palestinian being shot as he was incapacitated on the ground, as ambulances arrive a soldier appears to shoot at the man's head. [gunfire] after a van passes blood can be seen pouring from the man's head and israeli military says they are examining the video and al jazeera stephanie decker has more. >> reporter: it is dramatic video shot by the israeli human rights group that shows a palestinian man 21-year-old sharif laying shot on the ground and shot and alive and it shows israeli soldiers standing around and follows an incident that the 21-year-old attempted to stab a soldier and he had been shot on the ground incapacitated then we see one of the soldiers cock his weapon, aim it at the 21-year-old and appear to shoot him in the head. now the israeli army has been very quick to respond, suspended

this particular soldier saying an investigation is now on going but following a preliminary investigation they say it appears a grave breach of values have taken place and this is not what they expect of their soldiers and commanders. plenty more on our website, al jazeera.com. ♪ the former bosnia leader -- fifth suspect in the brussels bombing. secretary of state john kerry presses his russian counterpart on political transition in syria. >> attacks were relentless and systematic and widespread. >> reporter: department of justice announces one of the highest profile indictments ever against iran. ♪