Pavle Strugar, former Commander of the Second Operational Group of the Yugoslav People's Army convicted by the Tribunal's Trial Chamber for crimes committed in Dubrovnik, returned last night to the UN Detention Unit having received medical treatment in the Republic of Montenegro.
On 16 December 2005, the Tribunal's Appeals Chamber ordered the provisional release of Pavle Strugar for a period of no longer than four months. He was released so that he could receive a total hip prosthesis in the Podgorica Clinical Centre, Montenegro, as well as specialised rehabilitation in the “Dr. Simo Milosevic” Centre in Igalo, Montenegro.
On 31 January 2005, the Trial Chamber sentenced Pavle Strugar to eight years' imprisonment upon finding him guilty for his involvement in the attack against the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia in 1991. The assault included attacks on civilians and destruction or willful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion, charity and education, the arts and sciences, historic monuments
and works of art and science (both counts are violations of the laws or customs of war under Article 3 of the Statute). Both parties appealed the judgement and the appeal is pending before the Appeals Chamber.
Since its inception in 1993, the Tribunal has charged 161 persons for war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. To date, proceedings against 90 persons have concluded. Six indicted persons remain at large.
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Courtroom proceedings can be followed on the Tribunal's website
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