Bosnian Croat war crimes convict Slobodan Praljak used cyanide to kill himself in court after losing his appeal, according to preliminary autopsy findings, Dutch prosecutors said on Friday.

The wartime commander of Bosnian Croat forces, Slobodan Praljak, died after he drank poison seconds after United Nations judges turned down his appeal against a 20-year sentence for war crimes against Bosnian Muslims.

A court on Wednesday cleared the Netherlands of liability in the deaths of the most of the 8,000 Bosnian Muslims slain in the Srebrenica massacre 19 years ago.