BELGRADE, May 2 (Hina) - Nikola Sainovic, a former Yugoslav deputy prime minister, indicted by the Hague war crimes tribunal for war crimes in Kosovo in 1999, and Momcilo Gruban, indicted for war crimes at the Omarska camp in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, left Belgrade for the Netherlands on a regular flight on Thursday, accompanied by their attorneys.
BELGRADE, May 2 (Hina) - Nikola Sainovic, a former Yugoslav deputy
prime minister, indicted by the Hague war crimes tribunal for war
crimes in Kosovo in 1999, and Momcilo Gruban, indicted for war
crimes at the Omarska camp in Bosnia-Herzegovina, left Belgrade for
the Netherlands on a regular flight on Thursday, accompanied by
their attorneys. #L#
Sainovic did not give any statements, but his attorney Toma Fila
said that he believed his client would be released pending trial.
"It is very difficult for me to be escorting one of our citizens to a
foreign prison. What makes me an optimist is that I will bring him
back in a couple of months, as I believe that the government will
keep its promise and that we will be able to reach a compromise with
Carla del Ponte on temporary release," Fila said.
He added that Sainovic would not negotiate a settlement with the
tribunal and testify against Milosevic.
Sainovic gave his only statement for the media to Belgrade's Radio S
on Wednesday evening, saying that after considering the situation
in the state, he had concluded that "the only reasonable solution
would be to respond to the request of the federal government and
defend the truth in The Hague".
Sainovic, Gruban and Dragoljub Ojdanic, a former Yugoslav Army
chief-of-staff, who is already in The Hague, have responded to the
request of the Yugoslav government to surrender voluntarily to the
Hague tribunal. Milan Martic, a leader of Croatian Serb rebels, who
was indicted for the 1995 shelling of Zagreb, leaves for The Hague
after Orthodox Easter next week. Vladimir Kovacevic Rambo, accused
of war crimes in the Dubrovnik area in 1991, and Mile Mrksic,
indicted for war crimes in Vukovar in 1991, are also to surrender
voluntarily. Mrksic has been given an additional 30 days to
surrender due to poor health.
The Belgrade District Court has initiated proceedings against 17
other Hague indictees, who are not to surrender voluntarily, and
who will be arrested and handed over to the Hague tribunal.
(hina) rml