Vladimir KOVACEVIC,
born on 15 January
1961
 |
| Transferred
to the Tribunal: 23 October 2003
Initial appearance: 3 November 2003, no plea
entered
Separation of proceedings with Pavle Strugar (IT-01-42)
on 26 November 2003
Provisional Release: ordered 2 June
2004, effective 7 June 2004
Pre-trial stage
|
|
See Strugar case IT-02-42 |
|
Vladimir Kovacevic was originally indicted together with Pavle
Strugar and Miodrag Jokic (see Strugar and Jokic
case information sheets).
The Indictment ("Dubrovnik")
Factual allegations:
The Second Amended Indictment, filed on 17 October 2003 pursuant
to a Trial Chamber Decision of 13 October 2003, alleges that forces
of the Yugoslav Peoples’ Army ("JNA") under the
command of Pavle Strugar, Miodrag Jokic and Vladimir Kovacevic launched
an attack against the Dubrovnik region of Croatia from Montenegro,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and from the Adriatic Sea on 1 October 1991.
The forces under their command included regular JNA land and naval
units, as well as Territorial Defence units from the Republic of
Montenegro and the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
paramilitary units, police and special police units that were subordinated
to the JNA.
It is alleged that between 6 December and 31 December 1991, JNA
forces killed and wounded numerous civilians in and around the city
of Dubrovnik through acts of unlawful shelling. Further, during
the course of the attacks on Dubrovnik from 23 October 1991 through
6 December 1991, hundreds of approximately 1,000 shells fired by
the JNA forces impacted in the Old Town area of the city. The Old
Town of Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in its
entirety.
An analysis conducted by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural
Monuments, in conjunction with UNESCO, found that, of the 824 buildings
in the Old Town, 563 (or 68.33 per cent) had been hit by projectiles
in 1991 and 1992. Six buildings were completely destroyed by fire.
In 1993, the Institute for the Rehabilitation of Dubrovnik, in conjunction
with UNESCO, estimated the total cost for restoring public and private
buildings; religious buildings; streets, squares, and fountains;
and ramparts, gates, and bridges at 9,657,578 US dollars.
According to the Indictment, Vladimir Kovacevic was appointed the
Commander of the Third Battalion of the JNA Trebinje Brigade in the
autumn of 1991. This battalion was subordinated to the command of
the Ninth VPS.
Charges:
The Indictment charges Vladimir Kovacevic, on the basis
of individual criminal responsibility (Article 7(1) of the Statute
of the Tribunal) and superior criminal responsibility (Article 7(3))
with:
 Six counts
of violations of the laws or customs of war (Article 3 – murder;
cruel treatment; attacks on civilians; devastation not justified
by military necessity; unlawful attacks on civilian objects; destruction
or wilful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion, charity,
and education, the arts and sciences, historic monuments and works
of art and science).
Separation of cases
On 26 November 2003, the Trial Chamber ordered the separation
of the Kovacevic case and the Registrar assigned case number IT-01-42/2
to the case on the same day.
Provisional Release
On 2 June 2004, the Trial Chamber ordered the
provisional release of the Vladimir Kovacevic, on medical grounds,
to the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro for an initial period
of six months, subject to the terms and conditions set out in
the Decision (see Press Release No. 854).
The Accused was released on 7 June 2004.
Trial Chamber I:
Judge Alphons Orie (Presiding), Netherlands
Judge Amin El Mahdi, Egypt
Judge Joacquín Martín Canivell, Spain
Counsel for the Prosecution:
Ms. Susan Somers
Mr. Philip Weiner
Counsel for the Defence:
Mr. Howard Morrison
Ms. Tanja Radosavljevic |
