Serbs on trial

SIX former high-level political and military leaders of Serbia and the former Yugoslavia went on trial yesterday for alleged war crimes in Kosovo during the 1998-99 crackdown on ethnic Albanians.

The six, headed by former Serbian President Milan Milutinovic, are charged with orchestrating the deportation of 800,000 ethnic Albanians and allowing other acts during the crackdown, which ended with a NATO bombing campaign. They have pleaded not guilty to five counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes at the UN Yugoslav tribunal.