A retired Yugoslav vice-admiral pleaded guilty at The Hague tribunal today to killing civilians by shelling the historic Croatian city of Dubrovnik in Croatia's 1991 war of independence against Serbia.
Mr Miodrag Jokic admitted killing civilians by pounding the ancient heart of Dubrovnik in December 1991 during a Serb siege of a city.
Mr Jokic admitted to murder, cruel treatment, attacks on civilians and destruction of historic buildings during shelling of the picturesque heart of Dubrovnik on December 6th, 1991. Two civilians died and three were wounded.
In 2001, he pleaded not guilty to nine counts of violating the laws and customs of war but changed his plea to guilty on six counts after the indictment against him was amended.
"Your honours, I am guilty," Mr Jokic, who is in his late 70s, told judges in a faltering voice at a special hearing of the international court after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Dubrovnik's Old Town suffered heavy damage when Yugoslav forces shelled it from the land and sea after Croatia declared independence from Serb-dominated Yugoslavia.
Mr Jokic, who retired from the Yugoslav navy in 1992, is set to face sentencing by the United Nations tribunal later this year. Prosecutors have recommended a 10-year jail sentence.