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Serbia's president announced Friday that his government has requested the early release of a former Yugoslav army commander serving time for war crimes committed during Kosovo's 1998-1999 independence conflict, citing the 79-year-old's deteriorating health.
Nebojsa Pavkovic, who led Yugoslav forces as commander of the Third Army during the brutal crackdown on ethnic Albanians, has been imprisoned in Finland since his 2009 conviction by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. The court sentenced him to 22 years for his role in systematic crimes against Albanian civilians.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said his administration had petitioned for Pavkovic's release due to his "terribly severe health condition." The Hague tribunal has yet to announce whether it will grant the request.
The court previously rejected a similar appeal in May 2022, noting "the gravity of his crimes and the lack of rehabilitation" in its decision to keep Pavkovic behind bars.
Pavkovic voluntarily surrendered to international authorities in 2005 and was a close associate of nationalist strongman Slobodan Milosevic, who died in 2006 during his own war-crimes trial. The Milosevic administration and Serbian authorities maintained they were legitimately fighting the Kosovo Liberation Army, which they branded a terrorist organization.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade continues to refuse to recognize. The conflict that preceded Kosovo's independence resulted in widespread displacement and civilian casualties, leading to NATO intervention and eventual UN administration of the territory.
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