 |  |  |
| Return to: Left History: a digital archive | Return to: Say no to imperialist wars! | Return to: NATO-Yugoslav War Internet Resources |
| | |
| Return to: Left History: a digital archive | Return to: Say no to imperialist wars! | Return to: NATO-Yugoslav War Internet Resources |
BELGRADE, August 13 (Itar-Tass) - Prosecutors of Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad and of Kosovo's cities of Pristina and Prizren on Friday filed war crime charges against leaders of five Western states and NATO commanders.
They sent the charges to district courts that are entitled by Serbian legislation for criminal investigations.
Prosecutor-General Dragisa Krsmanovic told reporters that charges had been brought against US President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, their foreign and defense ministers, NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana and NATO's Supreme Commander Europe Wesley Clark.
All are charged with war crimes against the civilian population.
Prosecutors of Nis and Prizren, where NATO' airpower used cluster bombs, added to their documents the charge of the use of unlawful means of war conduction, and Belgrade's prosecutor added the charge of attempts at murders of Yugoslavia's top officials, given that the first missile and bomb strike on Belgrade targeted the residence of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
Krsmanovic said there was not a single statute of the internantional law that would justify NATO's aggression against Yugoslavia.
He cited NATO's gross violation of rules of war conduction laid down by 1949 Geneva conventions on protection of war victims, the 50th anniversary of whose adoption is marked these days.
The prosecutor said that NATO, in contravention of these conventions, assaulted the civilian population causing deaths and grievous bodily harm.
In the five mentioned cities alone, 209 people were killed.
The strikes were made without target selection, which caused suffering of civilians, Krsmanovic said.
Property was destroyed on a huge scale, arbitrarily and without military need. In additon, facilities were attacked that are under special protection of international law, he said.
Krsmanovic said the action of the prosecutors was not politically motivated.
He cited signs of crimes in the territory of Serbia and said that the prosecutors had to act to meet their responsibilities.
Krsmanovic said a single indictment would be prepared after obtaining more incriminating evidence and a trial would be held, most likely in Belgrade, with no period of limitation for the war crimes.