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241 克罗地亚将军在战争法庭上为自己辩护
Croatian General Pleads Not Guilty at War Tribunal
Lauren Comiteau
The Hague
26 Jul 2001 19:02 UTC
Croatian General Rahim Ademi has 1)pleaded not 2)guilty to all five counts of war crimes brought against him before the Yugoslav war crimes Tribunal. He is the first Croatian army officer to appear before the court 3)accused of crimes against Serbs in Croatia. But prosecutors are hoping another Croatian army general will soon join him.
For his first court appearance, General Rahim Ademi traded in the Croatian military uniform he wore on his flight from Zagreb to the Netherlands for 4)civilian clothing.
General Ademi, an ethnic Albanian by birth, is still an active officer in the Croatian military and he is still on its payroll. He surrendered to Tribunal officials, saying he would prove his innocence.
Prosecutors allege that, as an acting commander in central Croatia during the 1991 to 1995 war against secessionist Serbs, General Ademi is responsible for the military operation in the Medak pocket that killed at least 38 Serb civilians and two 5)captured Serb soldiers.
Many of the victims were women and elderly people, including a blind 74 year old woman who was shot to death.
Prosecutors also say that hundreds of homes and barns were destroyed, and they have charged General Ademi with five counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including 6)persecution, murder, and 7)plunder.
In court Thursday, the general said he rejects the charges and is absolutely not guilty. But, unlike the last person to be 8)arraigned here, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, eneral Ademi does not reject the Tribunal. General Ademi's lawyer, Cedo Prodanovic, says it is a view that is not too popular with everyone in Croatia. "They think he had to refuse all connections with the Tribunal and refuse to admit the existence and spirit of the 9)Tribunal, the idea of the tribunal," Mr. Prodanovic said. "But it's his destiny, not others, and so it was his decision."
Mr. Prodanovic says his client, who he says is a bit shocked and confused now that he is actually in prison, knew he had to face the charges sooner or later and so decided to turn himself in.
But that is not the case with another Croatian General, Ante Gotovina. On Thursday, 10)prosecutors unsealed their 11)indictment against the retired General who is now on the run from police in Croatia. He is 12)charged with eight counts of war crimes - including persecution, murder, and 13)deportation - for his alleged role during what is known as Operation Storm. That 1995 offensive by the Croatian military sought to recapture Serb-held land in Croatia's Krajina 14)region.
Prosecutors say that during Operation Storm and the months that followed, at least 150 Serbs were killed, hundreds disappeared, and as many as 200,000 were forced to leave the area. Many of those who stayed behind, mostly the elderly, were 15)allegedly murdered.
In the indictment, prosecutors allege that General Gotovina was acting along with Croatia's former President Franjo Tudjman, who died before prosecutors could 16)indict him. They are hoping General Gotovina will soon be captured so he, too, can be brought to The Hague to face the charges.
(1) plead[pli:d]vi.辩护, 恳求vt.为...辩护
(2) guilty[5^IltI]adj.犯罪的, 有罪的, 心虚的
(3) accuse[E5kju:z]vt.控告, 谴责, 非难
(4) civilian[sI5vIlIEn]n.平民, 公务员adj.民间的, 民用的
(5) capture[5kAptFE(r)]n.捕获, 战利品vt.俘获, 捕获, 夺取
(6) persecution[p:sI5kju:F(E)n]n.迫害, 烦扰
(7) plunder[5plQndE(r)]v.抢劫n.抢劫, 战利品
(8) arraign[E5reIn]vt.提问, 传讯, 责难
(9) tribunal[traI5bju:n(E)l]n.法官席, 审判员席, (特等)法庭
(10) prosecutor[5prRsIkju:tE(r)]n.检举人
(11) indictment[In5daItmEnt]n.控告
(12) deportation[di:pC:5teIF(E)n]n.移送, 充军, 放逐
(13) charge[tFB:dV]v.装满, 控诉, 责令, 告诫, 指示, 加罪于
(14) region[5ri:dVEn]n.区域, 地方, (世界上某个特定的)地区
(15) allegedly[E5ledVIdlI]adv.依其申述
(16) indict[In5daIt]vt.起诉, 控告, 指控, 告发
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