Pavković returns to Hague, Kosovo Six trial set to continue

Nebojsa Pavkovic, who was released temporarily, has returned to the Hague Tribunal. The war crimes indictment accuses Pavkovic, retired general and former Yugoslav Army, VJ, chief of staff, former Serbian president Milan Milutinovic, former Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic and military and police generals Dragoljub Ojdanic, Vladimir Lazarevic and Sreten Lukic for crimes allegedly committed in Kosovo in the first half of 1999. Pavkovic returns to Hague, Kosovo Six trial set to continue The trial is expected to continue tomorrow, where former Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic is expected to testify as one of Lukic’s key witnesses. Zivkovic, who succeeded slain Zoran Djindjic as the PM from the ranks of the Democrats (DS), and was also SRJ interior minister at one point, told Tanjug that he will most likely be testifying before the Hague Tribunal Tuesday. “I am convinced that Lukic is not guilty of the crimes he is accused of, and my testimony is based on his work after October 5, 2000, and the information I acquired as interior minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,” Zivkovic said. He added that the testimony will likely also include events prior to October 5, 2000. “We refused to extradited general Lukic and that decision was made by the Serbian government at the time, as it was seen as going against national interests and the security interests of the state,” he said. Zivkovic said that consultations were held with “institutions in Washington, Brussels and The Hague,” before Lukic was made chief of the MUP Public Security Department after October 5, 2000. “No one had anything against the appointment then, and it was said that there were no investigations against Lukic, and that there were no obstacles in the way of naming him to that position,” the former prime minister said. He said that when these consultations were held, "everyone was aware of what Lukic did in 1998 and 1999 as the leader of the MUP forces in Kosovo". The indictment against Lukic and three other generals was issued in October 2003. “I told Carla Del Ponte that I am not the address for indictments because there was a national council for Hague Tribunal cooperation at that time as well,” Zivkovic said, regarding his refusal to “accept the envelope” from the former Hague chief prosecutor when she brought the indictment to Belgrade. “Besides procedural mistakes which followed the Lukic indictment, the name of the wrong country was written on it,” said Zivkovic. Zivkovic said that in the meeting with Del Ponte, he said he “does not know what could have changed in three years, because in that time, nothing happened that could have been linked to Lukic."

Pavković returns to Hague, Kosovo Six trial set to continue

The trial is expected to continue tomorrow, where former Prime Minister Zoran Živković is expected to testify as one of Lukić’s key witnesses.

Živković, who succeeded slain Zoran Đinđić as the PM from the ranks of the Democrats (DS), and was also SRJ interior minister at one point, told Tanjug that he will most likely be testifying before the Hague Tribunal Tuesday.

“I am convinced that Lukić is not guilty of the crimes he is accused of, and my testimony is based on his work after October 5, 2000, and the information I acquired as interior minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,” Živković said.

He added that the testimony will likely also include events prior to October 5, 2000.

“We refused to extradited general Lukić and that decision was made by the Serbian government at the time, as it was seen as going against national interests and the security interests of the state,” he said.

Živković said that consultations were held with “institutions in Washington, Brussels and The Hague,” before Lukić was made chief of the MUP Public Security Department after October 5, 2000.

“No one had anything against the appointment then, and it was said that there were no investigations against Lukić, and that there were no obstacles in the way of naming him to that position,” the former prime minister said.

He said that when these consultations were held, "everyone was aware of what Lukić did in 1998 and 1999 as the leader of the MUP forces in Kosovo".

The indictment against Lukić and three other generals was issued in October 2003.

“I told Carla Del Ponte that I am not the address for indictments because there was a national council for Hague Tribunal cooperation at that time as well,” Živković said, regarding his refusal to “accept the envelope” from the former Hague chief prosecutor when she brought the indictment to Belgrade.

“Besides procedural mistakes which followed the Lukić indictment, the name of the wrong country was written on it,” said Živković.

Živković said that in the meeting with Del Ponte, he said he “does not know what could have changed in three years, because in that time, nothing happened that could have been linked to Lukić."