Vladimir Kovačević

Who is Vladimir Kovačević?

Vladimir Kovačević is a Montenegrin Serb military officer who was charged with violation of the laws of war by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for his actions in the siege of Dubrovnik during the Croatian War of Independence.

Kovačević faced six counts of violations of the laws of war all related to the bombing of the UNESCO Heritage Site of Dubrovnik by the Third Battalion of the JNA 472 Motorised Brigade, of which he was in command.

His case was originally to be processed along with Pavle Strugar, a higher-ranking commander of the operation, but the trial was split up on November 26, 2003. On January 31, 2005, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced Strugar to eight years in prison for his role in the 1991 shelling of Dubrovnik.

Since 2004 Kovačević has not been fit for trial due to mental health problems.

On July 30, 2007, the Serbian Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor announced the indictment of former Yugoslavia Army Captain Vladimir Kovačević for war crimes associated with the 1991 Siege of Dubrovnik. The Serbian prosecutor is quoted by Associated Press saying Kovačević was being treated at the Belgrade military hospital and that experts would assess his capacity to attend trial in the future, adding it was not immediately clear when proceedings against Kovacevic could start.