Serbs take Germany to court over NATO attack during Kosovo war
dpa German Press Agency
Published: Thursday
October 19, 2006
Karlsruhe, Germany- The families of civilians killed and wounded in a NATO
airstrike on a Serbian village 17 years ago sought compensation from a German
court on Thursday. Ten people died and 30 were injured in the May 1999 attack on
a bridge in Varvarin at the height of the Kosovo war.
Although no German
planes took part in the raid, the plaintiffs are seeking 3.5 million euros (4.1
million dollars) in damages from the German government.
They claim
German troops serving with NATO helped select the target and Germany therefore
shared responsibility for the NATO action.
Three of the 35 plaintiffs
appeared before the High Court to present their case on Thursday.
Vavarian a town of 4,000, is located 200 kilometres from the province of
Kosovo where Slobodon Milosevic's Serbian army was suppressing ethnic Albanians.
Lawyers for the German government called the attack a "tragedy," but
said they could not see why damages should be paid because the bridge was a
military target.
NATO has defended the bombing and said the bridge was a
"legitimate" target that served as infrastructure for the Serbian army fighting
in Kosovo.
Varvarin Mayor Zoran Milenkovic, who lost his daughter Sanja
in the air strike, said before the hearing that "the town was not defended and
could not defend itself against a NATO strike."
Two lower courts had
previously rejected claims for compensation.
© 2006 dpa German Press
Agency
http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Serbs_take_Germany_to_court_over_NA_10192006.html
