Two new lawsuits against NATO will be brought to the Higher Court in Belgrade on behalf of Serbian victims of the 1999 depleted uranium bombing in Yugoslavia, a year after the first claim over the issue was filed, lawyer Srdjan Aleksic told Sputnik.
The first lawsuit, over 20 years after the bombing, was filed in January 2021. Aleksic was working on material evidence to represent the interests of a Yugoslavian officer with cancer because of the airstrikes.
“On January 20, we are filing two new lawsuits in Belgrade from two victims and we hope that then every month, we will file two or three more [lawsuits]. It takes time and money for the work of an expert in explosives and weapons and a medical examiner’s conclusion. It must be clearly proved that NATO carried out depleted uranium bombings where the plaintiffs were located. It also has to be proved that the plaintiffs’ cancer has been caused by radiation from NATO uranium,” Aleksic said.
NATO could have used conventional weapons; however, it chose to use depleted uranium on the territory of Serbia, the lawyer went on, which will have a detrimental effect on people for many years to come.
“This is a war crime and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization must compensate for damage to the Serbian citizens,” Aleksic said.
The lawyer added that last year’s claim was forwarded to NATO headquarters, but so far without acknowledgment of having been received. However, the Higher Court in Belgrade may pass a verdict to NATO even if the alliance does not take part in the proceedings under the Serbian legislation, Aleksic explained.
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3,000 people from Serbia filed lawsuits against NATO
Two new lawsuits against NATO over depleted uranium used in Kosovo during the 1999 bombing of the FRY will be filed with the Belgrade High Court next week.
According to lawyer Srdjan Aleksic, who is filing the lawsuits on behalf of about 3.000 people, in cooperation with an Italian lawyer…more lawsuits are being prepared against the Alliance.
According to him, the previous lawsuit was filed in January last year and was sent to the defendant, i.e. NATO, but no answer has been received yet, says Aleksić.
That lawsuit contains all relevant documents, evidence, it is in English and they have now been given a deadline to declare themselves, explains Aleksić, noting that in addition to two new lawsuits, new ones are being accepted.
When asked who is the plaintiff against the Alliance, he explains that “about 3,000 people have so far called, our citizens, members of the Serbian Army, reservists, civilians who were in Kosovo and Metohija during the NATO bombing.”
Also, as Aleksić points out, the lawsuit was written in cooperation with an Italian lawyer, who participated in 250 final cases, in which the court made a decision on compensation to Italian soldiers who developed deadly diseases due to depleted uranium.
As Aleksić explains, this is a very specific tumor, and in all these cases it was proven that there were heavy metals in their blood. It is the same, he continues, with our soldiers, reservists, but also civilians who were in the bomb-throwing zones, but their cases are even more difficult.
The evidence is solid, he concludes, stating that it was on the basis of them that the Italian court passed 250 final verdicts in favor of the Italian soldiers who were in Kosovo and Metohija during the NATO bombing.
via Anti-Bellum
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