Court remands ex-JSO members in custody, orders probe

The Special Court in Belgrade launched an investigation late Thursday against four members of the former Special Operations Unit (JSO). The four men are suspected of taking part in the 2001 mutiny. Court remands ex-JSO members in custody, orders probe The suspects were also remanded in custody. After a several-hour long hearing, which ended around midnight, the investigative judge decided to keep the suspects in custody and launch an investigation against former JSO assistant commander in charge of counterintelligence Veselin Lecic, Gendarmerie officer Mica Petrakovic, member of the Gendarmerie Anti-Terrorist Unit Vladimir Potic and pensioner Dragoslav Krsmanovic. Apart from the four arrested persons, the investigation into the JSO mutiny in November 2001 will also involve Milorad Ulemek, Dusko Maricic and Zvezdan Jovanovic, who are serving decade-long sentences for the assassination of Serbia's Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and other crimes, and they are to be questioned subsequently. The Serbian Organized Crime Prosecution initiated a probe on suspicion that the JSO mutiny was organized in cooperation with Zemun Gang leader Dusan Spasojevic. The organizers of the mutiny are facing up to 20 years in prison, while participants may get three to 15 years. The Prosecution has charged the suspects with mutiny. According to the then explanations of the unit's commanders, the cause for mutiny was dissatisfaction over the arrest of Hague Tribunal indictees the Banovic brothers, and “Berets“ demanded that a law on cooperation with The Hague be adopted as soon as possible. The one-week mutiny ended with an agreement with the government. The JSO members during the 2001 mutiny (FoNet, file)

Court remands ex-JSO members in custody, orders probe

The suspects were also remanded in custody.

After a several-hour long hearing, which ended around midnight, the investigative judge decided to keep the suspects in custody and launch an investigation against former JSO assistant commander in charge of counterintelligence Veselin Lečić, Gendarmerie officer Mića Petraković, member of the Gendarmerie Anti-Terrorist Unit Vladimir Potić and pensioner Dragoslav Krsmanović.

Apart from the four arrested persons, the investigation into the JSO mutiny in November 2001 will also involve Milorad Ulemek, Duško Maričić and Zvezdan Jovanović, who are serving decade-long sentences for the assassination of Serbia's Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić and other crimes, and they are to be questioned subsequently.

The Serbian Organized Crime Prosecution initiated a probe on suspicion that the JSO mutiny was organized in cooperation with Zemun Gang leader Dušan Spasojević.

The organizers of the mutiny are facing up to 20 years in prison, while participants may get three to 15 years.

The Prosecution has charged the suspects with mutiny.

According to the then explanations of the unit's commanders, the cause for mutiny was dissatisfaction over the arrest of Hague Tribunal indictees the Banović brothers, and “Berets“ demanded that a law on cooperation with The Hague be adopted as soon as possible.

The one-week mutiny ended with an agreement with the government.