Defendant protests innocence at Lovas war crimes trial

Milan Devcic, one of the accused in the Lovas war crimes trial, said that all those accusing him of those crimes had been “instructed to do so.” Devcic made the comment in response to a question from the trial chamber as to how he reacted to the fact that two of the defendants and the majority of witnesses and victims mentioned his name in relation to the arrest, torture and murder of Croatian civilians. Defendant protests innocence at Lovas war crimes trial He said that the claims were untrue and lies, adding that those people had been instructed to say those things. Devcic called Aleksandar Nikolaidis and Petronije Stevanovic, the two defendants who had been members of the “Dusan the Powerful” paramilitary unit, “criminals.” In their defense, the two claim that Devcic ordered them to assault civilians. Devcic denied that he had participated in drawing up a list of people to be taken to a minefield and killed on October 18, 1991. He refuted Nikolaidis and Stevanovic’s testimonies that he had been with them in a group when Lovas was attacked on October 10, and when a vehicle had been hit by a “hornet” missile. Fourteen people are accused of war crimes in Lovas, including four officials of the then local territorial authorities, four members of the Yugoslav People’s Army, and six paramilitaries. According to the indictment, 22 civilians were killed in the attacks on homes and gardens in Lovas on October 10, 1991, while a further 23 people were killed over the course of the following week in improvised prisons. The defendants are accused of assembling civilians in such a way to form a human shield on October 18, and forcing them to walk through a minefield. 22 people died as a result, along with three other civilians in sporadic incidents during the same period. The trial resumed this morning.

Defendant protests innocence at Lovas war crimes trial

He said that the claims were untrue and lies, adding that those people had been instructed to say those things.

Devčić called Aleksandar Nikolaidis and Petronije Stevanović, the two defendants who had been members of the “Dušan the Powerful” paramilitary unit, “criminals.”

In their defense, the two claim that Devčić ordered them to assault civilians.

Devčić denied that he had participated in drawing up a list of people to be taken to a minefield and killed on October 18, 1991.

He refuted Nikolaidis and Stevanović’s testimonies that he had been with them in a group when Lovas was attacked on October 10, and when a vehicle had been hit by a “hornet” missile.

Fourteen people are accused of war crimes in Lovas, including four officials of the then local territorial authorities, four members of the Yugoslav People’s Army, and six paramilitaries.

According to the indictment, 22 civilians were killed in the attacks on homes and gardens in Lovas on October 10, 1991, while a further 23 people were killed over the course of the following week in improvised prisons.

The defendants are accused of assembling civilians in such a way to form a human shield on October 18, and forcing them to walk through a minefield. 22 people died as a result, along with three other civilians in sporadic incidents during the same period.

The trial resumed this morning.