Trial for JSO mutiny begins in Belgrade

BELGRADE A trial of eight Special Operations Unit (JSO) members for the armed mutiny in November 2001 began in Belgrade on Wednesday. The Special Court has rejected the defense’s request for exemption of the trial chamber. Trial for JSO mutiny begins in Belgrade The request was filed this morning by Milorad Ulemek’s attorney Slobodan Milivojevic. He filed the request because his earlier request to allow him to speak to his client privately in the Special prison in Pozarevac had been denied. Another defendant’s defense attorney earlier requested that the prosecutor and special prosecutor be exempted. JSO member Veselin Lecic’s defense attorney Bozo Prelevic stated that the prosecution did not shed any light on the political background of former PM Zoran Djindjic’s murder because those who ordered the murder and incited still have not been found. “My only complaint when it comes to the prosecution and court is that they cover up evidence in some cases rather than reveal it. I think this is just the continuation of the cover up of evidence in the case where Serbia should die of shame for allowing them not to investigate it. If you are investigating the political background, you should determine who is in the political background and not just whether it was (Democratic Party of Serbia leader) Vojislav Kostunica, and since it was not him, then there is no political background. It will turn out that the rich prime minister had a conflict with some criminals,” he noted earlier on Wednesday. Organized Crime Prosecutor Miljko Radisavljevic said commenting on the request for his exemption that the JSO mutiny and Djindjic’s murder were not directly connected. He told a press conference that it could not be proved based on the evidence that there was a plan for the former PM’s assassination at the time of the JSO mutiny. Ulemek, Zvezdan Jovanovic, Dusan Maricic, Lecic, Mica Petrakovic, Dragoslav Krsmanovic, Dragisa Radic and Vladimir Pocic are standing trial for the 2001 mutiny and they should on Wednesday start presenting their defense. Serbian PM Ivica Dacic has confirmed that there was information on the planned mutiny in the Zabela Prison that could be connected with the beginning of the trial of the JSO members. Former JSO commander Ulemek said at the beginning of the trial that he was retired and that he donated his entire pension to the Fund for Children of Killed Members of the Serbian police (MUP). The eight former JSO members are charged with armed mutiny. According to the indictment, the JSO stopped taking orders from November 9 until November 17, 2001, stopped communication with the command and several times rejected Djindjic’s request to stop the mutiny. Armed JSO members blocked highway on two occasions in the meantime – near the northern town of Vrbas and in New Belgrade. According to the indictment, the JSO therefore expressed readiness to use violence if their requests to dismiss then Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic and State Security (DB) Chief Goran Petrovic and his deputy Zoran Mijatovic were not fulfilled. The JSO directly jeopardized the country’s safety and constitutional order during the mutiny, reads the indictment. (FoNet, file) B92

Trial for JSO mutiny begins in Belgrade

The request was filed this morning by Milorad Ulemek’s attorney Slobodan Milivojević.

He filed the request because his earlier request to allow him to speak to his client privately in the Special prison in Požarevac had been denied.

Another defendant’s defense attorney earlier requested that the prosecutor and special prosecutor be exempted.

JSO member Veselin Lečić’s defense attorney Božo Prelević stated that the prosecution did not shed any light on the political background of former PM Zoran Đinđić’s murder because those who ordered the murder and incited still have not been found.

“My only complaint when it comes to the prosecution and court is that they cover up evidence in some cases rather than reveal it. I think this is just the continuation of the cover up of evidence in the case where Serbia should die of shame for allowing them not to investigate it. If you are investigating the political background, you should determine who is in the political background and not just whether it was (Democratic Party of Serbia leader) Vojislav Koštunica, and since it was not him, then there is no political background. It will turn out that the rich prime minister had a conflict with some criminals,” he noted earlier on Wednesday.

Organized Crime Prosecutor Miljko Radisavljević said commenting on the request for his exemption that the JSO mutiny and Đinđić’s murder were not directly connected.

He told a press conference that it could not be proved based on the evidence that there was a plan for the former PM’s assassination at the time of the JSO mutiny.

Ulemek, Zvezdan Jovanović, Dušan Maričić, Lečić, Mića Petraković, Dragoslav Krsmanović, Dragiša Radić and Vladimir Pocić are standing trial for the 2001 mutiny and they should on Wednesday start presenting their defense.

Serbian PM Ivica Dačić has confirmed that there was information on the planned mutiny in the Zabela Prison that could be connected with the beginning of the trial of the JSO members.

Former JSO commander Ulemek said at the beginning of the trial that he was retired and that he donated his entire pension to the Fund for Children of Killed Members of the Serbian police (MUP).

The eight former JSO members are charged with armed mutiny. According to the indictment, the JSO stopped taking orders from November 9 until November 17, 2001, stopped communication with the command and several times rejected Đinđić’s request to stop the mutiny.

Armed JSO members blocked highway on two occasions in the meantime – near the northern town of Vrbas and in New Belgrade.

According to the indictment, the JSO therefore expressed readiness to use violence if their requests to dismiss then Interior Minister Dušan Mihajlović and State Security (DB) Chief Goran Petrović and his deputy Zoran Mijatović were not fulfilled.

The JSO directly jeopardized the country’s safety and constitutional order during the mutiny, reads the indictment.