The first court appearance of a former Yugoslav army officer charged with the 1991 shelling of Dubrovnik in Croatia has been delayed because he is unwell. Vladimir Kovacevic had been due to appear before the war crimes tribunal at The Hague on Monday, after being handed over to the court by the authorities in Belgrade last Thursday. Some 40 people died in the shelling Tribunal spokesman Jim Landale said on Monday: "He's not well. The initial appearance has been postponed due to ill-health."
Details of his illness have not been released.
He is one of the so-called "Dubrovnik three" and the last person on the Dubrovnik indictment to be brought before the court. Vladimir Kovacevic, nicknamed "Rambo" - faces six counts of war crimes, including murder, cruel treatment and destruction of historic monuments.
Dubrovnik, a medieval walled city, is listed as one of the world's heritage sites.
More than 40 civilians were killed and parts of the city destroyed during a siege by the Yugoslav army. They attacked the city just after Croatia declared independence in 1991. Plea bargains Now all three suspects indicted for the shelling of Dubrovnik are awaiting trial in The Hague. General Pavle Strugar and navy Admiral Miodrag Jokic both surrendered to the court and pleaded not guilty. Mr Jokic changed his plea to guilty in August. A fourth man, Milan Zec, was under investigation, but charges against him have been dropped.
There has been a series of guilty pleas as part of plea bargains during the past few months.
Half a dozen suspects have pleaded guilty in return for some of the charges against them being dropped and demands for a lesser sentence by the prosecution.
