Ex-member testifies against paramilitaries

A protected witness in a trial against members of a paramilitary unit asked on Monday in Belgrade that his protection be lifted. Therefore, Zoran Raskovic, who was a member of the Jackals (Sakali) paramilitary unit, testified in the war crimes trial under his full name. Ex-member testifies against paramilitaries The case concerns crimes committed in the village of Cuska in Kosovo during the 1999 war. Raskovic is known to the public as the leader of the 2006 prison uprisings, who on one occasion sewed up his own mouth shut in protest, and is now serving an extended jail sentence. Before he started his testimony in the trial before the War Crimes Chamber of the Belgrade District Court, Raskovic said he was "coming from a basement where he has spent the past five years in solitary confinement". On September 10, 2010, the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor's Office brought an indictment for the crimes in Cuska against Toplica Miladinovic, Srecko Popovicc Slavisa Kastratovicc Boban Bogicevic, Zvonimir Cvetkovic, Radoslav Brnovic, Vidoje Koricanin, Veljko Koricanin, Abdulah Sokic, Milojko Nikolic, Zoran Obradovic and Ranko Momicc They are charged with liquidating at least 44 ethnic Albanian civilians on May 14, 1999, in the municipality of Pec, southern Kosovo. The indictment states that the Jackals' crime was characterized by extreme brutality. As of yet unidentified members of the Jackals put knifes to throats of small children, fired shots under the feet of civilians, beat men in front of women and children, killed their victims with great cruelty often shooting them in the back or firing many bullets, after which they burned most of the bodies, with the goal of preventing identification. Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor Bruno Vekaric said Monday's testimony by former protected witness Zoran Raskovic an extremely brave and patriotic move. "I admire his courage in coming here and speaking openly about the crimes of the people looking at him from the defendant's table, threatening him. It is also patriotism when someone testifies about the killing of women and children and the terrors they have seen," Vekaric told reporters in front of the court building. The testimony talks about one of the worst crimes ever committed in our area, the deputy prosecutor said, reminding of the allegations of financially-motivated killings which included even pregnant women. Tanjug

Ex-member testifies against paramilitaries

The case concerns crimes committed in the village of Ćuška in Kosovo during the 1999 war.

Rašković is known to the public as the leader of the 2006 prison uprisings, who on one occasion sewed up his own mouth shut in protest, and is now serving an extended jail sentence.

Before he started his testimony in the trial before the War Crimes Chamber of the Belgrade District Court, Rašković said he was "coming from a basement where he has spent the past five years in solitary confinement".

On September 10, 2010, the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor's Office brought an indictment for the crimes in Ćuška against Toplica Miladinović, Srećko Popovicć Slaviša Kastratovicć Boban Bogićević, Zvonimir Cvetković, Radoslav Brnović, Vidoje Korićanin, Veljko Korićanin, Abdulah Sokić, Milojko Nikolić, Zoran Obradović and Ranko Momicć

They are charged with liquidating at least 44 ethnic Albanian civilians on May 14, 1999, in the municipality of Pec, southern Kosovo.

The indictment states that the Jackals' crime was characterized by extreme brutality.

As of yet unidentified members of the Jackals put knifes to throats of small children, fired shots under the feet of civilians, beat men in front of women and children, killed their victims with great cruelty often shooting them in the back or firing many bullets, after which they burned most of the bodies, with the goal of preventing identification.

Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor Bruno Vekarić said Monday's testimony by former protected witness Zoran Rašković an extremely brave and patriotic move.

"I admire his courage in coming here and speaking openly about the crimes of the people looking at him from the defendant's table, threatening him. It is also patriotism when someone testifies about the killing of women and children and the terrors they have seen," Vekarić told reporters in front of the court building.

The testimony talks about one of the worst crimes ever committed in our area, the deputy prosecutor said, reminding of the allegations of financially-motivated killings which included even pregnant women.