The first Serb lawsuit against NATO for bombing with depleted uranium arrived in Brussels
The lawsuit of a Serbian lawyer representing the interests of a Serbian colonel with cancer, who was in Kosovo under NATO bombing, reached the Alliance headquarters in Brussels.
This was reported by the Serbian edition of Sputnik radio, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The lawyer of the colonel of the Yugoslav Army, who spent 210 days in Kosovo, including under NATO bombing, is now being treated for cancer, has undergone three operations and spends four thousand euros on medicines every month - Srdjan Aleksic, who filed a lawsuit against NATO in January of this year, said that he had reached the headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance. And it will soon be known whether this claim will be accepted or rejected there.
“No one can stop this process anymore, verdicts in favor of soldiers in Italy (who served in Kosovo as part of the occupation forces KFOR and also received oncology - ed.) broke the ice, now we are called for help from the Czech Republic, their soldiers who were in Kosovo and Metohija also got sick,” says Aleksic. – We expect a response from Brussels very soon; the claim was immediately translated into English. On March 25, the High Court sent the claim through the ministry to Brussels, to NATO headquarters. The court ordered the defendant to make a decision within 30 days after receiving the claim, we will see whether they will contest or accept the claim. If they refuse, the Belgrade High Court may reach a verdict without them.”
Aleksić was assisted in preparing his claim by a lawyer from Rome, Angelo Tartaglia, who was the first in the world to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between depleted uranium and cancer. Now, as a member of the Nis Bar Association, Tartaglia arrives in Serbia on Tuesday to help draw up a plan to continue the fight for justice and compensation for victims of the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Journalists asked Aleksic why only one lawsuit was filed, although initially it was said that from three to five thousand people were ready to join the lawyer’s initiative.
“On this case alone we had to pay a court fee of 75 thousand dinars. We generally have a problem with legal costs, Tartaglia in Italy does not have such a problem, their court exempted people from taxes. Those who defended our country, ordinary soldiers or officers who are sick today, their treatment costs them from one thousand to two thousand euros per month. They need to pay a trial fee, a decision fee, an examination fee. They can’t start litigation without several thousand euros, but where will they get this money?” Aleksic answered.
At the same time, the lawyer noted that in his favor there are more than 200 verdicts of Italian courts, one verdict of the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg, as well as evidence from the World Health Organization, which determined that certain types of radiation cause cancer.
“Tartaglia told me that we would ask for a minimum of 100 thousand euros. A million euros is also normal, as compensation for death, wounds, suffering. They caused this, and therefore they will have to pay,” the lawyer added, noting that such claims have no statute of limitations.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.