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REGISTRY
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The Hague, 6 May 2008
VE/MOW/1247e
Ojdanić Granted Provisional Release
The Trial Chamber III on Friday 2 May 2008 granted Dragoljub Ojdanić temporary provisional release to Serbia on compassionate grounds from 6 May to 12 May 2008.
Ojdanić’s release is subject to a number of strict conditions, including 24-hour electronic surveillance of the accused by Serbian authorities.
Ojdanić was the former Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army and former Defence Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He is on trial together with 5 co-accused, Milan Milutinović, Nikola Šainović, Nebojša Pavković, Vladimir Lazarević and Sreten Lukić, for an alleged campaign of terror and violence directed against Kosovo Albanians and other non-Serbs living in Kosovo in 1999. All have been charged with deportation, forcible transfer, murder and persecutions of thousands of Kosovo Albanians and other non-Serbs.
The trial commenced on 10 July 2006. The Prosecution completed its case-in-chief on 1 May 2007, following which the Trial Chamber dismissed all Defence motions for acquittal for each of the accused. The Defence case started on 6 August 2007. The closing arguments are scheduled to take place between 22 and 25 July 2008.
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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