Belgrade Approves War Crimes Law

One of the most wanted Serbian war crimes suspects, Vlajko Stojiljkovic, shot himself in front of the federal parliament, just hours after its members approved a law that will allow the handover of suspected war criminals to the UN tribunal in the Hague.

Vlajko Stojiljkovic, who died on Saturday after shooting himself on Thursday, headed the police under Slobodan Milosevic. From 1998 t0 1999, police units are alleged to have comitted severe crimes against Albanians in Kosovo.

Certification of compliance

The new law was passed after the US froze $40 million aid to Yugoslavia due to its delays in handing over war crimes suspects.

The law applies to around 20 suspects thought to be hiding in Yugoslavia. Among those likely to be handed over are top associates of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who is already at the UN tribunal.

For the aid payments to begin again the US Secretary of State Colin Powell will have to certify Yugoslavia’s compliance.

Yugoslavia’s Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic siad before the law was passed that all the suspects could be handed over by May 1.

Accusations

Vlajko Stojiljkovic, still a member of the Yugoslav parliament left an angry suicide note, expressing his "protest against all the members of the puppet authorities".

Accusing members of the coalition which overthrew the Milosevic regime, he wrote "I accuse them of destroying Yugoslavia with the assistance of our greatest foreign enemy....for ruthles violation of the constitution and laws of this country, the policy of treason and capitulation, ruin and suffocating of our national dignity".

Milosevic’s Socialist party said Stojiljkovic was the "first victim" of the law legalising "the hunt for Serb patriots and heroes of the war against Nato aggressors and Albanian terrorists" in Kosovo.