Milutinović acquitted, others guilty

The Hague Tribunal on Thursday acquitted former Serbian president Milan Milutiovic of all charges brought against him in connection to the 1999 war in Kosovo. Judge Iain Bonomy's trial chamber – which included Judge Cvetana Kamenova of Bulgaria and Judge Nawaz Chowhan of Pakistan – found that the remaining five defendants in the case, known as the Kosovo Six, were guilty for the deportation of thousands and murder of hundreds of Kosovo Albanians in the first half of 1999. Milutinovic acquitted, others guilty Then Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic and generals Nebojsa Pavkovic and Sreten Lukic were found guilty of all charges and handed down sentences of 22 years in prison each. Generals Dragoljub Ojdanic and Vladimir Lazarevic, according to the Hague Tribunal judges, were guilty of two out of five counts brought by the prosecution, and will each serve 15 years in jail. Judge Bonomy told the defendants that Serbian and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ) authorities were responsible for the widespread and organized campaign of terror, that included mass murders. The judges found that the prosecution proved that the Yugoslav Army (VJ) troops and Serbian police (MUP) forces were responsible for the deportations, forcible movement, murder and persecution of Kosovo's Albanians. The chamber dismissed the defense's argument that these events, which took place after NATO started a bombing campaign against Serbia, were a result of those attacks, and of the Serbian forces' clashes with the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) – an armed group of Kosovo Albanians which Belgrade considered to be terrorist. The defense teams for those found guilty today announced they would appeal the verdicts. Ahead of the reading of the verdict today, B92 was told that the judgment is the longest in the history of the Hague Tribunal, at about 1,000 pages. No one, officially or otherwise, dared predict what the verdict today would be. That is because this is not only the first Hague ruling for crimes which Serb and former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia forces allegedly committed in Kosovo, but also because it is the first court verdict presided over by Bonomy, who is best known for replacing deceased Judge Richard May in 2004 during the Milosivic trial. The court heard a total of 113 prosecution witnesses from June 2006 until August 2008, most direct witnesses or victims of crimes against Albanians in Kosovo during 1999, which the prosecution alleged had the goal of making long-term ethnic structural changes in the region. Among them were many who had already testified against Milosivic, as well as Western diplomats, negotiators, NATO generals and a few so-called insiders who the prosecution called with the intention to support claims about direct involvement of the accused in mass crimes, killing thousands, and expelling hundreds of thousands of Albanians. Some of the most well-known witnesses against Milosivic, such as Paddy Ashdown and Wesley Clarke, were not called to testify in the case. The defense called 118 witnesses, among them a number of colleagues and co-workers of the accused, who refuted the charges. Among them were former Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic, Head of the Government of Media Office Milivoj Mihajlovic, General Branko Krga, former Deputy Prime Minister Ratko Markovic, former Montenegro President Momir Bulatovic and others. In closing arguments, the defense asked for an acquittal and the prosecution for 20 years to life in prison. Milan Milutinovic (FoNet, archive)

Milutinović acquitted, others guilty

Then Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Šainović and generals Nebojša Pavković and Sreten Lukić were found guilty of all charges and handed down sentences of 22 years in prison each.

Generals Dragoljub Ojdanić and Vladimir Lazarević, according to the Hague Tribunal judges, were guilty of two out of five counts brought by the prosecution, and will each serve 15 years in jail.

Judge Bonomy told the defendants that Serbian and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ) authorities were responsible for the widespread and organized campaign of terror, that included mass murders.

The judges found that the prosecution proved that the Yugoslav Army (VJ) troops and Serbian police (MUP) forces were responsible for the deportations, forcible movement, murder and persecution of Kosovo's Albanians.

The chamber dismissed the defense's argument that these events, which took place after NATO started a bombing campaign against Serbia, were a result of those attacks, and of the Serbian forces' clashes with the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) – an armed group of Kosovo Albanians which Belgrade considered to be terrorist.

The defense teams for those found guilty today announced they would appeal the verdicts.

Ahead of the reading of the verdict today, B92 was told that the judgment is the longest in the history of the Hague Tribunal, at about 1,000 pages.

No one, officially or otherwise, dared predict what the verdict today would be.

That is because this is not only the first Hague ruling for crimes which Serb and former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia forces allegedly committed in Kosovo, but also because it is the first court verdict presided over by Bonomy, who is best known for replacing deceased Judge Richard May in 2004 during the Milošivić trial.

The court heard a total of 113 prosecution witnesses from June 2006 until August 2008, most direct witnesses or victims of crimes against Albanians in Kosovo during 1999, which the prosecution alleged had the goal of making long-term ethnic structural changes in the region.

Among them were many who had already testified against Milošivić, as well as Western diplomats, negotiators, NATO generals and a few so-called insiders who the prosecution called with the intention to support claims about direct involvement of the accused in mass crimes, killing thousands, and expelling hundreds of thousands of Albanians.

Some of the most well-known witnesses against Milošivić, such as Paddy Ashdown and Wesley Clarke, were not called to testify in the case.

The defense called 118 witnesses, among them a number of colleagues and co-workers of the accused, who refuted the charges. Among them were former Prime Minister Zoran Živković, Head of the Government of Media Office Milivoj Mihajlović, General Branko Krga, former Deputy Prime Minister Ratko Marković, former Montenegro President Momir Bulatović and others.

In closing arguments, the defense asked for an acquittal and the prosecution for 20 years to life in prison.