Trial against two former Serbian intelligence chiefs opens in The Hague

29/04/2008

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The trials against former Serbian security chief Jovica Stanisic and his deputy, Franko Simatovic, opened at the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Monday (April 28th). Stanisic, one of Slobodan Milosevic's closest aides, and Simatovic face charges of murder, forced deportation and inhuman acts. They allegedly organised and ran secret militia units notorious for violent campaigns of ethnic cleansing. Prosecutor Dermot Groome described them as "willing members in a core group of persons who showed the intent to remove large populations of non-Serbs by force".

Concerns about Stanisic's health caused four postponements of the trial, but doctors finally decided he could watch proceedings via video from his cell. Stanisic suffers from severe depression and kidney stones. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. (RTRS, NTV Hayat, B92, Tanjug, Reuters - 28/04/08)