THE HAGUE, Sept 25 (Hina) - The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) indicted former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and violations of
the laws or customs of war in Croatia, and genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
THE HAGUE, Sept 25 (Hina) - The International Criminal Tribunal for
former Yugoslavia (ICTY) indicted former Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against humanity, grave breaches of
the Geneva Conventions and violations of the laws or customs of war
in Croatia, and genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina. #L#
Under the indictment, crimes in Croatia were committed in 1991 and
1992 with the execution of a plan of forcible transfer of the
majority of Croat and other non-Serb civilians from around one
third of Croatia's territory, which was to become part of a new
Serb-dominated state. The plan was devised on August 1, 1991, at the
time when Milosevic was the President of Serbia. Participating in
its implementation were also Borisav Jovic, Branko Kostic, Veljko
Kadijevic, Blagoje Adzic, Milan Babic, Milan Martic, Goran Hadzic,
Jovica Stanisic, Franko Simatovic, Tomislav Simovic, Vojislav
Seselj, Momir Bulatovic, Aleksandar Vasiljevic, Radovan Stojicic,
Zeljko Raznatovic Arkan and others.
Milosevic is charged with the expulsion of population in Croatia
committed between August 1, 1991 and June 1992, including the
"extermination or murder of hundreds of Croats and other non-Serb
civilians", the prolonged and routine imprisonment of thousands of
Croat and other non-Serb civilians within and outside of Croatia,
including prison camps in Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia-
Herzegovina, and the establishment and perpetuation of inhumane
living conditions for Croat and other non-Serb civilian detainees
in Serb-controlled areas of Croatia. Milosevic is also charged with
attacks on Vukovar, Dubrovnik and other undefended Croatian towns
and their destruction and plunder, as well as the destruction of
cultural and historical monuments.
The charges also include the expulsion of at least 170,000 Croats
and other non-Serbs, including the deportation to Serbia of at
least 5,000 residents of Ilok, 20,000 residents of Vukovar and the
forcible transfer to other locations within Croatia of at least
2,500 residents of Erdut.
Individual massacres and killings Milosevic is charged with
include those committed at Ovcara, Vocin, Skabrnja, Celije, Nadin,
Dalj, Lovas, and Erdut. He is also charged with the shelling of
Dubrovnik.
Milosevic's superior responsibility for crimes committed in
Croatia is based on the actual control he had over four members of
the Presidency of the former Yugoslavia, including the armed forces
under their control. Through the agents of the Counter-
Intelligence Service (KOS), the Interior Ministry and the State
Security Service (SDB), as well as by controlling the funds,
Milosevic directed the moves of local Croatian Serb leaders, local
Serb police, and security forces.
The prosecution maintains that there was an international conflict
and partial occupation in Croatia since October 8, 1991.
The former Yugoslav president is also charged with crimes committed
by Serb forces against Muslims and Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina
between 1992 and 1995.
Apart from genocide charges, Milosevic is indicted for crimes
against humanity, including the persecution and extermination,
grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions in the country, and grave
violations of the laws or customs of war.
Milosevic is charged with participating in "a joint criminal
enterprise" which was aimed at "the forcible and permanent removal
of the majority of non-Serbs... from large areas of the Republic of
Bosnia-Herzegovina". The goal was implemented through a series of
attacks by Serb forces on non-Serb population. Milosevic
perpetrated crimes through the JNA, as well as through the local
Serb leadership and its forces, which he controlled and financed.
The individuals participating in the enterprise along with
Milosevic include Radovan Karadzic, Momcilo Krajisnik, Biljana
Plavsic, General Ratko Mladic, Borisav Jovic, Branko Kostic,
Veljko Kadijevic, Blagoje Adzic, Milan Martic, Jovica Stanisic,
Franko Simatovic, Radovan Stojicic, Vojislav Seselj and Zeljko
Raznatovic.
Milosevic is charged with genocide against Muslims and Croats in
Bijeljina, Bosanski Novi, Bosanski Samac, Bratunac, Brcko, Doboj,
Foca, Sarajevo (Ilijas), Kljuc, Kotor Varos, Sarajevo (Novi Grad),
Prijedor, Rogatica, Sanski Most, Srebrenica, Visegrad, Vlasenica
and Zvornik.
Under the indictment, during the take-over of territories within
Bosnia-Herzegovina, thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Croats were
killed and thousands more imprisoned in inhumane conditions in more
than 50 camps. Many more were forcibly transferred and deported
from their homes. The total number of persons who were expelled or
imprisoned during the said period is estimated at more than
250,000.
The indictment also charges Milosevic with the execution of several
thousand Muslim men and boys after the fall of Srebrenica in July
1995.
Under the indictment, Milosevic controlled and manipulated the
public with the help of the state media, through which he spread
fear and hatred.
(hina) rml sb