23 Facts About Muhamed Sacirbey

Muhamed Sacirbey rose to prominence in the 1990s when Bosnia and Herzegovina appointed him to be their ambassador to the United Nations.

Muhamed Sacirbey's father Nedzib Sacirbegovic was a member of the organisation "Young Muslims" and a close friend of Alija Izetbegovic, the first and only president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Izetbegovic and Muhamed Sacirbey's father were imprisoned for opposing the communist government of SFR Yugoslavia following World War II.

Muhamed Sacirbey attended Valley Forge High School in Parma Heights, Ohio.

Muhamed Sacirbey attended Tulane University in New Orleans on a football scholarship and subsequently received a law degree from Tulane Law School and an MBA at Columbia Business School.

Muhamed Sacirbey has a younger brother Omer, who is a journalist in Boston.

Muhamed Sacirbey became Bosnia's first ambassador to the United Nations.

Muhamed Sacirbey began his term on 22 May 1992, the day that Bosnia and Herzegovina was admitted to the UN.

Muhamed Sacirbey traveled the world in a bid for support.

Muhamed Sacirbey was the eloquent public face of Bosnia on American television, a handsome, fit man who, as a student in the United States had been a starting football player at Tulane University.

Muhamed Sacirbey had long sought greater American involvement in his beleaguered nation and was glad the hour had finally come.

Muhamed Sacirbey was appointed to replace him for a brief period.

Muhamed Sacirbey was instrumental in seeing the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and was an informal representative as well as witness many years later from 2003 until 2009.

Subsequently, Muhamed Sacirbey alleged that a "yellow light" had been given to Milosevic by US and European representatives to overrun the UN and NATO protected "safe areas" of Srebrenica, Zepa and Gorazde.

Muhamed Sacirbey has testified to such effect before the ICTY.

Muhamed Sacirbey represented Bosnia to the Rome negotiations on the International Criminal Court, and after successfully working to incorporate "gender based" crimes and eliminate the death penalty, was a subsequent signatory on the Rome Treaty.

Muhamed Sacirbey had been an advocate and active in the establishment of the ICC and became Vice-Chair of the Prep Committee on the ICC.

Muhamed Sacirbey denied allegations of any improper use of funds and said the entire affair was fabricated by political opponents in Bosnia and the United States.

Muhamed Sacirbey stated he spent up to $800,000 of his own money to cover Bosnia's diplomatic expenses.

Muhamed Sacirbey had offered to deliver himself should such be requested.

Muhamed Sacirbey spent the next sixteen months at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.

Muhamed Sacirbey appealed his certification by filing a habeas corpus petition on 21 March 2005 before a federal district judge.

Muhamed Sacirbey appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.