Montenegrin accused of war crimes during Kosovo war arrested
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 5 August 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Montenegrin accused of war crimes during Kosovo war arrested, 5 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57db99b927.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 05, 2016
Vlado Zmajevic from Niksic was arrested on suspicion that he committed war crimes against civilians in Kosovo in 1999.
Montenegro's police have arrested a Montenegrin suspected of killing at least six ethnic Albanians, including two women, during the late 1990s war in Kosovo.
The man arrested on August 4 was identified as 47-year-old Vlado Zmajevic, who had joined Serbian forces fighting Kosovo Albanian separatists seeking independence from Serbia.
Prosecutors said Zmajevic was arrested in the central city of Niksic and was "suspected of war crimes against the civilian population."
According to the Kosovo Humanitarian Law Center, Zmajevic was a key suspect in the crime committed in the Kosovo village of Zegra after Serbian paramilitaries arrived there in March 1999.
At the time, NATO started bombarding Serbian troops to stop their brutal crackdown against the separatists.
The Kosovo war, which ended after a NATO bombing campaign against Serbia, left about 13,000 people dead and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.
Kosovo subsequently became a protectorate under United Nations administration, and in 2008 it unilaterally declared its independence, which Serbia does not recognize.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
