PROSECUTORS SEEK TEN YEARS FOR JOKIC FOR ATTACK ON DUBROVNIK

THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Dec 4 (Hina) - Prosecutors of the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Thursday requested that retired Yugoslav Navy admiral Miodrag Jokic be sentenced to ten years in prison for his role in the 1991 attack on Dubrovnik, while the defence requested not more than two years because of the accused's guilty plea. #L# Presiding Judge Alphonse Orie said at the close of a day-long sentencing hearing that the Trial Chamber would decide on the length of the sentence at the start of the next year. Prosecutors said that the unlawful attack on Dubrovnik had been carried out on December 6, 1991 by forces stationed in Jokic's area of responsibility. Admiral Jokic did nothing to stop the attack, despite the fact that he knew, as he himself had admitted, that Dubrovnik's Old Town was a UN-declared world cultural heritage site, they added. The defence called on the Trial Chamber to take into account alleviating circumstances, including the fact that Jokic had sincerely repented, admitted his guilt and offered an apology to the Croatian side shortly after the attack. Addressing the judges, Jokic said he had pleaded guilty to the crimes because he thought that "someone should open the process of admitting guilt, apologising to victims and reconciliation among people." In August this year, Jokic struck a plea bargain with the prosecution, admitting guilt for war crimes committed during the Yugoslav army attack on Dubrovnik. Prosecutor Susan Sommers described Jokic's cooperation after he admitted his guilt as "absolute and full". At the time of the attack on Dubrovnik, Jokic held the rank of vice- admiral and commanded the Yugoslav Navy 9th Naval Sector with headquarters in Boka Kotorska, Montenegro. Jokic turned himself in to the Hague tribunal voluntarily on November 12, 2001. In February 2002, he was provisionally released pending trial. (hina) vm sb