THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - The U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Thursday sentenced retired Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) Admiral Miodrag Jokic to seven years in jail. He had pleaded guilty to war crimes committed by
the heavy shelling of southern Croatia's Dubrovnik on 6 December 1991.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - The U.N. war crimes tribunal in The
Hague on Thursday sentenced retired Yugoslav People's Army (JNA)
Admiral Miodrag Jokic to seven years in jail. He had pleaded guilty to
war crimes committed by the heavy shelling of southern Croatia's
Dubrovnik on 6 December 1991.#L#
Reading a summary of the judgement, presiding Judge Alphonse Orie said
the sentence included 116 days spent in detention.
The 69-year-old Jokic on 27 August 2003 pleaded guilty to six counts
of an amended indictment which charged him, on individual and command
responsibility, with violations of the laws and customs of war.
Based on the plea, the trial chamber found him guilty of murder,
attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, unjustified destruction,
cruel actions, the destruction of religious, educational and cultural
facilities and historical monuments in downtown Dubrovnik, which is
under UNESCO protection.
The prosecution asked for 10 years in jail while the defence asked for
imprisonment up to two years.
Jokic's criminal accountability was described partially as aiding and
abetting and partially as superior responsibility.
Judge Orie said Jokic's participation in the crimes was marginal and
based mostly on omissions.
The judges ruled that Jokic represented the JNA in negotiating a
cease-fire in early December 1991 and did not order the December 6
attack.
At 1400 hours that day Jokic sent a radiogram to a Croatian government
minister in Dubrovnik regretting the attack and apologised to the
Croatian side the day after, the judges concluded.
Taken into account as aggravating circumstances were the power and
authority he enjoyed as commander of the JNA Ninth Naval Sector but
failed to use them to prevent the shelling or punish the
perpetrators.
Mitigating circumstances included his voluntary surrender to the Hague
tribunal, the admission of guilt, cooperation with the prosecution,
good conduct and personal circumstances, notably the fact that on
December 6 he distanced himself from the attack.
The day-long attack on Dubrovnik's Old Town claimed the lives of two
civilians, three were wounded, six historic palaces were completely
destroyed, while dozens of buildings were either set on fire or
damaged. JNA missiles hit more than 60 percent of the southern
Adriatic resort's buildings that day.
(Hina) ha sb