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Monday, 11 February, 2002, 14:20 GMT
Milosevic allies still at large
![]() Mr Sainovic (right) "pulled the strings" in Kosovo
By the BBC's Paul Anderson
There are four other men indicted with Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kosovo. But of them, there is only one name on everyone's lips in Serbia - Nikola Sainovic.
He'd been Mr Milosevic's chief negotiator in Bosnia and was his special envoy in Kosovo. "Of all the others indicted with Mr Milosevic, he would be the gem for the tribunal," says the commentator Dushka Anastasjevic.
"Even the Serbian public doesn't know he played such a role. He looked clumsy, not very flamboyant, but he does know a lot and was one of Milosevic's closest associates." Orders to 'go in heavy' Mr Sainovic has been linked to the event which spurred the international community into action in Kosovo - the massacre of 45 Albanians in the village of Racak in January 1995.
The investigative journalist Miroslav Filipovic says Nikola Sainovic was one of the few men who made Mr Milosevic's system of discreet command work. Orders to the head of the police in Kosovo at the time of the conflict, Sreten Lukic, were passed from Mr Milosevic via Mr Sainovic, he says. For a president who trusted the police more than the army, that connection was vital. Pressure from the Hague Mr Sainovic is a deputy in the Federal Parliament and as such he enjoys immunity from prosecution.
But for Zoran Djindjic, the Serbian Prime Minister, that's a constitutional nicety which may have to be overlooked. He's under tremendous western pressure to surrender the war crimes suspects living in Yugoslavia soon. Asked whether he would be prepared to move on Mr Sainovic and the others as he did with Mr Milosevic, Mr Djindjic told the BBC: "If necessary, Yes. We don't want to make 10 million people hostage to a few people, and they cannot expect our protection.
Mr Sainovic's lawyer, Toma Fila, said Mr Sainovic had worked to establish peace in Kosovo. He'd brought the Albanian leader, Ibrahim Rugova, to Belgrade for talks with Slobodan Milosevic, even though a deal was never implemented. Mr Fila said his client would willingly accept trial for the charges he's accused of - but in Yugoslavia. Refusal to testify
The other men on the charge sheet are the retired army chief of staff, Dragoljub Ojdanic, and Milan Milutinovic, the former Yugoslav Foreign Minister and current serving Serbian President. Reports say that Mr Milutinovic has said he may testify against Mr Milosevic. But that would come at a price. His term runs out towards the end of this year, after which Mr Milutinovic will be stripped of the privileges and protection he currently enjoys as president. Mr Djindjic has said he will not be surrendered while he is president. Of the four, only Mr Milutinovic has any real current political value. As president, he is the only one who can call new elections.
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10 Feb 02 | Europe
08 Feb 02 | Europe
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