Hague: Pavković defense calls first witnesses

The Kosovo Six trial continued at the Hague Tribunal this week with the start of Nebojsa Pavkovic's defense. Pavkovic, a Yugoslav Army (VJ) general and former chief of staff, is accused of war crimes committed in Kosovo in 1999, and is standing trial along with five other high Serbian and Yugoslav officials. Hague: Pavkovic defense calls first witnesses His defense called two witnesses on the first day of its case. Colonel Velimir Obradovic was chief of the Operations Center at the command post in Nis during the war. The second witness, retired general Mirko Starcevic, was in Kosovo together with Pavkovic as his assistant for morale. Although the defense of General Pavkovic did not use its right to present an opening statement, during the evidence given by the first witness it was indicated that it would be proving, among other things, that Albanians fled Kosovo during the NATO campaign in fear of bombing and not because of any military or police pressure. In an effort to prove that civilians fled their homes not only in Kosovo but in the whole of Serbia, Obradovic said that a large number of the residents of Nis left their homes during the NATO campaign. However, when the prosecutor asked him if they fled across the border like the Albanian civilians, the witness said that they mainly sought shelter in the suburban areas. Like those of Nikola Sainovic and Dragoljub Ojdanic, Pavkovic’s defense is trying to prove that the joint military and police command for Kosovo was not a command body but a body in charge of coordinating operations of security forces. According to the indictment against the six former officials, the Joint Command – which included Pavkovic – was an informal body through which Milosevic and the Serbian political leadership orchestrated the war in Kosovo and implemented the plan for the expulsion of approximately 800,000 Albanian civilians. Colonel Obradovic admitted that such a body existed. The name joint command’ was formulated rather awkwardly, he added. The witness said that the high-ranking officers used the expression "joint command" in "a pejorative sense." As he said that the this body existed only from July to October 1998, the prosecutor asked him to read aloud a part of the 3rd Army combat report dated April 29, 1999, where mention is made of "tasks being accomplished in the spirit of the order of the Joint Command." This was the last question the prosecutor asked. Mirko Starcevic, the second witness testifying in Pavkovic’s defense, said that during the whole time of the war in Kosovo the accused had been committed to comply with international laws of war. To corroborate this, he said that Pavkovic used to say "humanity first, responsibility second’." In an effort to prove that this was not just an empty phrase, the witness said that General Pavkovic removed the commander of the 125th Motorized Brigade and fifteen officers after hearing that a man by the name of Zmajevic and a group of soldiers from this unit had committed a crime in the village of Zegra: five civilians were killed. Pavkovic allegedly said, "Don’t let me kill the criminal, let him be punished by the court and not by me."

Hague: Pavković defense calls first witnesses

His defense called two witnesses on the first day of its case. Colonel Velimir Obradović was chief of the Operations Center at the command post in Niš during the war.

The second witness, retired general Mirko Starčević, was in Kosovo together with Pavković as his assistant for morale.

Although the defense of General Pavković did not use its right to present an opening statement, during the evidence given by the first witness it was indicated that it would be proving, among other things, that Albanians fled Kosovo during the NATO campaign in fear of bombing and not because of any military or police pressure.

In an effort to prove that civilians fled their homes not only in Kosovo but in the whole of Serbia, Obradović said that a large number of the residents of Niš left their homes during the NATO campaign.

However, when the prosecutor asked him if they fled across the border like the Albanian civilians, the witness said that they mainly sought shelter in the suburban areas.

Like those of Nikola Šainovic and Dragoljub Ojdanić, Pavković’s defense is trying to prove that the joint military and police command for Kosovo was not a command body but a body in charge of coordinating operations of security forces.

According to the indictment against the six former officials, the Joint Command – which included Pavković – was an informal body through which Milošević and the Serbian political leadership orchestrated the war in Kosovo and implemented the plan for the expulsion of approximately 800,000 Albanian civilians.

Colonel Obradović admitted that such a body existed. The name joint command’ was formulated rather awkwardly, he added.

The witness said that the high-ranking officers used the expression "joint command" in "a pejorative sense."

As he said that the this body existed only from July to October 1998, the prosecutor asked him to read aloud a part of the 3rd Army combat report dated April 29, 1999, where mention is made of "tasks being accomplished in the spirit of the order of the Joint Command."

This was the last question the prosecutor asked.

Mirko Starčević, the second witness testifying in Pavković’s defense, said that during the whole time of the war in Kosovo the accused had been committed to comply with international laws of war.

To corroborate this, he said that Pavković used to say "humanity first, responsibility second’." In an effort to prove that this was not just an empty phrase, the witness said that General Pavković removed the commander of the 125th Motorized Brigade and fifteen officers after hearing that a man by the name of Zmajević and a group of soldiers from this unit had committed a crime in the village of Žegra: five civilians were killed.

Pavković allegedly said, "Don’t let me kill the criminal, let him be punished by the court and not by me."