THE HAGUE: The first appearance at the Hague tribunal of an ex-Yugoslav army officer charged with war crimes for the 1991 shelling of the Croatian city of Dubrovnik was postponed yesterday because he was ill, the court said.
Vladimir Kovacevic, nicknamed "Rambo", was seized by Serb police in September and transferred to The Hague on Thursday. He was the last suspect on the Dubrovnik indictment still at large.
"He's not well. The initial appearance has been postponed due to ill-health," said tribunal spokesman Jim Landale. The court later said the hearing would be held next Monday instead.
Mr Kovacevic (42) is charged with six counts of war crimes including murder, cruel treatment and destruction or wilful damage of historic monuments.
The court indicted him, along with three other officers, for civilian deaths during the former-Yugoslav army campaign to bring the medieval walled city under Serb control after Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia.
Retired Yugoslav Vice-Admiral Miodrag Jokic, accused with Mr Kovacevic, pleaded guilty in August to murder, cruel treatment, attacks on civilians and destruction of historic buildings during shelling of the picturesque heart of Dubrovnik.
Two civilians died and three were wounded.
Retired Lieut-Gen Pavle Strugar surrendered to the court and has been freed pending trial.
"If the reason for \ failure to appear is health then this will be a serious obstacle to his defence because he was retired from the army for health reasons," Mr Kovacevic's lawyer in Belgrade, Mr Borivoje Borovic, said.
"Like many who have been in a war he had stress problems. He was retired on some medical documentation," Mr Borovic said, without giving details.
Mr Borovic, who is not defending Mr Kovacevic because he is acting in another case, said the believed the postponement had more to do with the choice of lawyer.
"He does not agree with his court-appointed attorney and finds it difficult to find another attorney to trust," said Mr Borovic.