Milosevic: Crimes and Law

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Slobodan Milošević (20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006), politician, former Serbian and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia President held extensive nationalist views and was responsible for the widespread ethnic cleansing of Albanian refugees across the Serbian provinces of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. In both its quantity and its brutality, the Milošević crimes against humanity remains vastly different from any other misconducts committed by Serbian forces throughout history. Specifically, the mass genocide of thousands and forceful fleeing of approximately 800,000 refuges was a prominent civil violation recognized by the International Criminal Tribunals, resulting in the UN Security Council involvement. This paper aims to analyze the historical timeline and legal background associated with Milošević’s involvement in the Yugoslav Wars throughout the 1900s and the foreseen effects on international criminal law.

Born on August 20th 1941 in Pozarevac Serbia, Yugoslavia, Slobodon Milošević is the second son of father, Svetozar Milošević, former Orthodox priest and mother, Stanislava Resanović, Serbian communist schoolmistress; both of whom commit suicide in 1962 and 1973 respectively. Growing up in a largely nationalistic family, in 1959 Milošević joins the Communist Party of Yugoslavia while pursuing a career in law at the University of Belgrade. In 1964, upon graduating with degree in law, Milošević begins a profession in business administration; however, in 1974 modifications to the Yugoslav Constitution (1963) diminished the jurisdiction of federal government on the constituent republics, granting the Serbian provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo (where the majority of the population are ethnic Albanian Muslims) autonomy. ...

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.... Milosevic and four of his associates: Serbian President, Milan Milutinovic, General Dragoljub Ojdanic former Serbian Minister of the Interior Vlajko Stojiljkovic , former Yugoslav deputy Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic, and Yugoslav army's former chief-of-staff, were indicted on the following offences committed in 1999: crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war. In compliance with these charges, Milosevic and his collegues were accused of committing several civil right violations; including the organization of the alleged deportation of 800,000 Kosovo Albanians and the murders of about 600 individually identified ethnic Albanians. The indictment was also amended to reference mass graves found outside Belgrade (a city on the outskirts of Kosovo) and sexual violence allegedly committed by Serbian soldiers, under the order of Milosevic.

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