BELGRADE -- Retired Yugoslav Army (VJ) General Dragoljub Ojdanić on Thursday arrived in Belgrade from the Hague Tribunal.
Source: Tanjug
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Ojdanić was welcomed by his family and friends when he told reporters at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport that he is disappointed in the international law and justice.
He noted that crimes were committed on all sides during the 1999 conflicts in Kosovo and Metohija, adding that he always supported punishments for criminals.
Ojdanić noted that he is "proud he lived up to the oath he had given to the people and homeland at the moment of (the 1999) barbarian aggression by 16 most powerful countries of the NATO headed by the U.S."
He said that he closely followed the Geneva Convention, provisions of the international war and humanitarian law and the rules and traditions of war.
Ojdanić noted that during the conflicts, crimes were committed on all sides but only the government, military and police top officials heading the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia were tried.
Ojdanić spent two thirds of the 15 years of prison in the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for the responsibility for war crimes committed in Kosovo and Metohija.
In February 2009, ICTY adopted the first-degree ruling in Ojdanić's case and sentenced him to 15 years in prison for assisting and supporting forceful displacement, deportation, murders and banishment of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo in 1999.
Ojdanić surrendered himself to the ICTY in spring 2002.
He appears to be in good health - he got 3 square meals a day in prison, free health care and did not have to work. Now he has to figure out how to survive living in Serbia. And you call his release an injustice?
BTW, all of posters currently struggling to live in the former Yugoslavia should stop your whining. You had it relatively good in the period after tito and before the five-headed monster called tudjmanmilosevicizbegovicthacidjukanovic. But, noooooo, you had to stuff your heads full of crap and declare yourselves independent (of common sense). Now you are a bunch of weak, little, pissant countries. Go bang your heads against the nearest wall.
(JohnBoy, 31 August 2013 10:50)
Ian, he did not openly admit to committing the crimes, he only accepted the findings of the court against him. Believe it or not, there is a difference.
(Clarification, 31 August 2013 01:29)
Released early?? Why?? I hope this ain't a sign that all other Hague inmates will be released early from their detention status.If Ojdanic possibly isn't truly remorseful than why should I feel sorry for him if some of his opposers ostracize him. There are certain people who I'm not staunchly concerned about.
(resident of Fredericton,New Brunswick,Canada visiting Plymouth,Minnesota,USA, 30 August 2013 18:33)
So you guys only count Serbian propaganda first hand knowledge? What about 12.000 thousands Kosovar Albanians killed in the war, what about 1 million displaced? Yes Roger7 those people in Racak killed themselves to blame the Serbs, pathetic really. Shame on you guys for not seeing the truth that 12 thousands got killed and 1 million people deported outside Kosovo and still you guys say it the way it suits you.
(Mendo, 30 August 2013 16:49)
His friendship with Willi and Roberto (the frustrated wanna-be journalist), all 3 of whom have no first-hand knowledge, has only contributed to his false sense of importance. Just a young, arrogant kid from a small village in Yorkshire.
(Roger7, 30 August 2013 15:21)
Ian and kriss- u refuse to accept the reality after all these years. There were no 100000 missing Albanians, Serbs weren't poisoning their water, racak was a classic set up ( ask the fins), there were and are no mass graves, horseshoe was proven as a fake. How stupid and blind can you be? Everyone, including British parliament, don't buy this nonsense anymore. It is a shame there are still bigots like yourselves coming to this board. NATO are even sending these guys around to create the same lie. Even in Bosnia, where casualties were exactly along ethnic lines, when the terrorists were losing they bom ed their own in markala, admitted now. You people are a joke.
(Jeff, 30 August 2013 13:22)
However I do understand your comments just for the record: Mr. Ojdanic was not released extremely early and DID sit 2/3 of his sentence in prison. The ICTY calculates also all that time in prison during the ongoing of his trial. Mr. Ojdanic was already in prison after he surrendered in April 2002 so do the calculation!
(Paul, 30 August 2013 12:02)
"Ojdanić, who was found guilty of war crimes by the court but was released early, told reporters that he did not commit a war crime, that his conscience was clear and that he can sleep peacefully.
Ojdanić was welcomed by his family and friends when he told reporters at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport that he is disappointed in the international law and justice."
---…--
WTF? He pleaded guilty to war crimes against Kosovo-Albanians and he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for these crimes.
How can he be "disappointed in the international law and justice"? He was sentenced to prison for crimes which he openly admits and he has been released extremely early.
I for one am "disappointed in the international law and justice" because he has only served just over 4 years of his 15 year prison sentence. Why should he be freed from prison 10 and a half years early?
Now he is denying that he ever committed a war crime, but on 25th January this year he stated "I fully accept all of the findings made in the judgement [against me]. All that remains is for me to serve out my sentence." This savage openly admitted that he committed war crimes.
He is just another War Criminal who has been released early from prison. Yet according to people here on B92, the ICTY is anti-Serb. What a load of BS!
This savage and murder should be sent back to prison to serve the other 10 and a half years of his sentence. That would be justice!
(Ian, UK, 30 August 2013 10:46)
"In February 2009, ICTY adopted the first-degree ruling in Ojdanić's case and sentenced him to 15 years in prison for assisting and supporting forceful displacement, deportation, murders and banishment of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo in 1999. "
My question is, WHY is he not in PRISON? Why was he released so soon? What kind of jusice is that?!
(Kriss, 30 August 2013 09:59)
However I do understand your comments just for the record: Mr. Ojdanic was not released extremely early and DID sit 2/3 of his sentence in prison. The ICTY calculates also all that time in prison during the ongoing of his trial. Mr. Ojdanic was already in prison after he surrendered in April 2002 so do the calculation!
(Paul, 30 August 2013 12:02)
"Ojdanić, who was found guilty of war crimes by the court but was released early, told reporters that he did not commit a war crime, that his conscience was clear and that he can sleep peacefully.
Ojdanić was welcomed by his family and friends when he told reporters at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport that he is disappointed in the international law and justice."
---…--
WTF? He pleaded guilty to war crimes against Kosovo-Albanians and he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for these crimes.
How can he be "disappointed in the international law and justice"? He was sentenced to prison for crimes which he openly admits and he has been released extremely early.
I for one am "disappointed in the international law and justice" because he has only served just over 4 years of his 15 year prison sentence. Why should he be freed from prison 10 and a half years early?
Now he is denying that he ever committed a war crime, but on 25th January this year he stated "I fully accept all of the findings made in the judgement [against me]. All that remains is for me to serve out my sentence." This savage openly admitted that he committed war crimes.
He is just another War Criminal who has been released early from prison. Yet according to people here on B92, the ICTY is anti-Serb. What a load of BS!
This savage and murder should be sent back to prison to serve the other 10 and a half years of his sentence. That would be justice!
(Ian, UK, 30 August 2013 10:46)
His friendship with Willi and Roberto (the frustrated wanna-be journalist), all 3 of whom have no first-hand knowledge, has only contributed to his false sense of importance. Just a young, arrogant kid from a small village in Yorkshire.
(Roger7, 30 August 2013 15:21)
Ian and kriss- u refuse to accept the reality after all these years. There were no 100000 missing Albanians, Serbs weren't poisoning their water, racak was a classic set up ( ask the fins), there were and are no mass graves, horseshoe was proven as a fake. How stupid and blind can you be? Everyone, including British parliament, don't buy this nonsense anymore. It is a shame there are still bigots like yourselves coming to this board. NATO are even sending these guys around to create the same lie. Even in Bosnia, where casualties were exactly along ethnic lines, when the terrorists were losing they bom ed their own in markala, admitted now. You people are a joke.
(Jeff, 30 August 2013 13:22)
So you guys only count Serbian propaganda first hand knowledge? What about 12.000 thousands Kosovar Albanians killed in the war, what about 1 million displaced? Yes Roger7 those people in Racak killed themselves to blame the Serbs, pathetic really. Shame on you guys for not seeing the truth that 12 thousands got killed and 1 million people deported outside Kosovo and still you guys say it the way it suits you.
(Mendo, 30 August 2013 16:49)
"In February 2009, ICTY adopted the first-degree ruling in Ojdanić's case and sentenced him to 15 years in prison for assisting and supporting forceful displacement, deportation, murders and banishment of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo in 1999. "
My question is, WHY is he not in PRISON? Why was he released so soon? What kind of jusice is that?!
(Kriss, 30 August 2013 09:59)
He appears to be in good health - he got 3 square meals a day in prison, free health care and did not have to work. Now he has to figure out how to survive living in Serbia. And you call his release an injustice?
BTW, all of posters currently struggling to live in the former Yugoslavia should stop your whining. You had it relatively good in the period after tito and before the five-headed monster called tudjmanmilosevicizbegovicthacidjukanovic. But, noooooo, you had to stuff your heads full of crap and declare yourselves independent (of common sense). Now you are a bunch of weak, little, pissant countries. Go bang your heads against the nearest wall.
(JohnBoy, 31 August 2013 10:50)
Ian, he did not openly admit to committing the crimes, he only accepted the findings of the court against him. Believe it or not, there is a difference.
(Clarification, 31 August 2013 01:29)
Released early?? Why?? I hope this ain't a sign that all other Hague inmates will be released early from their detention status.If Ojdanic possibly isn't truly remorseful than why should I feel sorry for him if some of his opposers ostracize him. There are certain people who I'm not staunchly concerned about.
(resident of Fredericton,New Brunswick,Canada visiting Plymouth,Minnesota,USA, 30 August 2013 18:33)
"In February 2009, ICTY adopted the first-degree ruling in Ojdanić's case and sentenced him to 15 years in prison for assisting and supporting forceful displacement, deportation, murders and banishment of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo in 1999. "
My question is, WHY is he not in PRISON? Why was he released so soon? What kind of jusice is that?!
(Kriss, 30 August 2013 09:59)
"Ojdanić, who was found guilty of war crimes by the court but was released early, told reporters that he did not commit a war crime, that his conscience was clear and that he can sleep peacefully.
Ojdanić was welcomed by his family and friends when he told reporters at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport that he is disappointed in the international law and justice."
---…--
WTF? He pleaded guilty to war crimes against Kosovo-Albanians and he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for these crimes.
How can he be "disappointed in the international law and justice"? He was sentenced to prison for crimes which he openly admits and he has been released extremely early.
I for one am "disappointed in the international law and justice" because he has only served just over 4 years of his 15 year prison sentence. Why should he be freed from prison 10 and a half years early?
Now he is denying that he ever committed a war crime, but on 25th January this year he stated "I fully accept all of the findings made in the judgement [against me]. All that remains is for me to serve out my sentence." This savage openly admitted that he committed war crimes.
He is just another War Criminal who has been released early from prison. Yet according to people here on B92, the ICTY is anti-Serb. What a load of BS!
This savage and murder should be sent back to prison to serve the other 10 and a half years of his sentence. That would be justice!
(Ian, UK, 30 August 2013 10:46)
So you guys only count Serbian propaganda first hand knowledge? What about 12.000 thousands Kosovar Albanians killed in the war, what about 1 million displaced? Yes Roger7 those people in Racak killed themselves to blame the Serbs, pathetic really. Shame on you guys for not seeing the truth that 12 thousands got killed and 1 million people deported outside Kosovo and still you guys say it the way it suits you.
(Mendo, 30 August 2013 16:49)
Ian and kriss- u refuse to accept the reality after all these years. There were no 100000 missing Albanians, Serbs weren't poisoning their water, racak was a classic set up ( ask the fins), there were and are no mass graves, horseshoe was proven as a fake. How stupid and blind can you be? Everyone, including British parliament, don't buy this nonsense anymore. It is a shame there are still bigots like yourselves coming to this board. NATO are even sending these guys around to create the same lie. Even in Bosnia, where casualties were exactly along ethnic lines, when the terrorists were losing they bom ed their own in markala, admitted now. You people are a joke.
(Jeff, 30 August 2013 13:22)
His friendship with Willi and Roberto (the frustrated wanna-be journalist), all 3 of whom have no first-hand knowledge, has only contributed to his false sense of importance. Just a young, arrogant kid from a small village in Yorkshire.
(Roger7, 30 August 2013 15:21)
Released early?? Why?? I hope this ain't a sign that all other Hague inmates will be released early from their detention status.If Ojdanic possibly isn't truly remorseful than why should I feel sorry for him if some of his opposers ostracize him. There are certain people who I'm not staunchly concerned about.
(resident of Fredericton,New Brunswick,Canada visiting Plymouth,Minnesota,USA, 30 August 2013 18:33)
Ian, he did not openly admit to committing the crimes, he only accepted the findings of the court against him. Believe it or not, there is a difference.
(Clarification, 31 August 2013 01:29)
He appears to be in good health - he got 3 square meals a day in prison, free health care and did not have to work. Now he has to figure out how to survive living in Serbia. And you call his release an injustice?
BTW, all of posters currently struggling to live in the former Yugoslavia should stop your whining. You had it relatively good in the period after tito and before the five-headed monster called tudjmanmilosevicizbegovicthacidjukanovic. But, noooooo, you had to stuff your heads full of crap and declare yourselves independent (of common sense). Now you are a bunch of weak, little, pissant countries. Go bang your heads against the nearest wall.
(JohnBoy, 31 August 2013 10:50)
However I do understand your comments just for the record: Mr. Ojdanic was not released extremely early and DID sit 2/3 of his sentence in prison. The ICTY calculates also all that time in prison during the ongoing of his trial. Mr. Ojdanic was already in prison after he surrendered in April 2002 so do the calculation!
(Paul, 30 August 2013 12:02)