The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ITCFY), a body of the United Nations (UN) established to prosecute serious crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia from 1991 on, has ruled that Milan Milutinovic, former president of Serbia who succeeded Slobodan Milosevic in 1997 and was in power during the war in Kosovo, must be set free. The tribunal, which was prosecuting the crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo in 1999, has concluded that at that time Milutinovic did not control the Yugoslav army. In fact, it is often believed that he was only Milosevic's puppet.

Meanwhile, the other five high officers in the dock have been sentenced to 15 to 22 years. Former Deputy Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, Nikola Sainovic; Sreten Lukic, police chief officer; Yugoslav army generals Nebojsa Pavkovic and Vladimir Lazareviz, and the army chief of staff Dragoljub Ojdanic, have been accused of forcibly deporting hundreds of thousands of people, as well as murdering and persecuting thousands of Kosovo Albanians.

Even though the ad-hoc court for the former Yugoslavia has declared sentences against dozens of criminals, this is the first time Serbian representatives are found guilty in relation to crimes in Kosovo. Slobodan Milosevic was also due to be judged, but died from a heart attack in the cell while he was waiting for the trial.

Further information:

• BalkanInsight.com: Five Guilty Of Kosovo Crimes, Milutinovic Acquitted
• AlertNet: Ex-Serbian president acquitted of Kosovo war crimes
• B92: Milutinović acquitted, others guilty