From an Austrian perspective, the saddest chapter of the Yugoslav war: two local reporters were fatally shot in Ljubljana. 32 (!) years later, the responsible officers of the former Yugoslav People’s Army must now answer for themselves in court.
Friday, June 28, 1991: Two days after the outbreak of the Ten Day War in Slovenia, war reporter Nick Vogel (son of the actors Gertraud Jesserer and Peter Vogel) and his colleague Norbert Werner took up a journalistic position at Ljubljana Airport. After several airstrikes in the morning and a ceasefire declared, the reporters finally ventured onto the tarmac in their SUV.
Panzer fired at reporters’ cars
A fatal mistake: minutes later a rocket rain fell on them, a tank of the Yugoslav People’s Army had attacked Vogel (24) and Werner (23). The car, which had a large press sticker on the side, was hit and caught fire. There was no salvation for the young Austrians. The reporters were the first journalists to die in the more than ten-year war in Yugoslavia.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they grind: because now, 32 years later, the two officers responsible in the former Yugoslav People’s Army are being brought to justice. The Slovenian public prosecutor’s office in Kraiburg has filed war crimes charges under the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilians. The now 72-year-old Danilo Radovanovic, as commander of the tank unit stationed at the airport, gave the order to shoot it down, and his subordinate officer Sasa Ignjatovic fired at the SUV of the Austrians.
The fact that it took so long for the trial to take place had to do with the suspect’s home. Despite international arrest warrants, the Serbian authorities have so far shown “little willingness to cooperate” according to the Slovenian judiciary. And the ex-agents, now of age, never left their homeland, knowing full well that the arrest warrants had been issued.
Radovanovic participated in the first day of the trial, at least via video conference, from a courtroom in Belgrade. Although he is not aware of any guilt: “No one has seen this press board, and there was none. Sufficient warning shots were fired, but the vehicle continued to move.”
“I don’t recognize this dish”
At least the ex-commander is confronted with the accusations – albeit from a distance. Co-defendant Ignjatovic is not at all interested in the trial. He refused to participate in the words of former Serbian president Slobodan Miloševic before the court-martial in The Hague: “I do not recognize this court.” Now more witnesses will be called.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
