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Yugoslavia Tries NATO Leaders for War Crimes
A local court in Yugoslavia on Monday opened a trial in absentia of 14 NATO leaders including US President Bill Clinton and his NATO allies for war crimes during last year's bombing.
The Belgrade District Court accused them of violating international law, the UN Charter, and the country's criminal law for staging an invasion against a sovereign state, war crimes against civilians, and the use of banned munitions.
A total of 504 Yugoslav civilians, 240 servicemen, and 147 policemen were estimated to have been killed during the March 24-June 10 NATO air strikes last year.
In the court room, there were chairs labeled with names of the western leaders: President Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
The other labeled chairs represented US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, US Defense Chief William Cohen, and their counterparts from Britain, France and Germany. NATO Secretary General Javier Solana and NATO Commander Wesley Clark were also put on trial in absentia.
More than 1,000 pieces of evidence covering over 500 incidents are expected to be presented at the court, which will include spot investigation reports, forensic reports, statements of witnesses, photographs and videotapes.
It took the country's 29 local courts and military courts over one year to collect the evidence.
A 192-page bill of indictment said that during the air raid, the western military alliance carried out 25,119 combat aircraft sorties, while launching 600 cruise missiles attacking both military and civilian targets.
In addition, NATO used internationally banned cluster bombs and ammunition with depleted uranium during the targeting of 77 sites in the rebel Kosovo province, six other places in southern Serbia, and one in Montenegro, inflicting severe environment damages on top of other damages.
The prosecutors listed all the sites including towns, villages, and industrial and military facilities.
More than 600 juridical officials from Serbia were present at the court, in addition to about 120 foreign journalists and diplomats from 11 foreign embassies in Belgrade.
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