'Italy Frees' Montenegro War Crimes Suspect

Podgorica _ A Montenegrin naval officer indicted for war crimes in Croatia was released on Thursday in Italy after nearly nine months of detention there, Podgorica media report.

Ilija Brcic was taken into custody when he visited Italy with a Montenegrin delegation for a NATO-led military exercise early last November.

Croatia, which is Montenegro’s neighbour, seeks Brcic on war crimes charges related to the 1991 war. At the time, Montenegrin officers were part of the Serb-led Yugoslav army that fought Croatia following its declaration of independence from the then-Yugoslavia.

Shortly after his release Thursday evening, Brcic told Montenegro’s private In Television from Rome that he felt “like a newborn child.” Montenegro’s state television said Brcic was to return home on Friday.

Italy did not officially confirm the development and there was no immediate reaction from Croatian authorities.

Earlier Thursday, Montenegro’s Defence Minister announced that an Italian court ruled to release Brcic. The minister, Boro Vucinic, said the embassy in Rome informed him of the court’s decision.

No other details were immediately available.

After Brcic’s arrest in November, Croatian police confirmed a standing warrant for him but it was not clear whether an extradition request was subsequently filed.

The charges against Brcic allege he ordered the bombardment of the southern Croatian city of Split and the Adriatic islands of Solta and Brac in 1991.

Two people were killed in the attack and numerous cultural and historic buildings in Split were damaged. In 1994, the district court in Split sentenced Brcic in absentia to 15 years in prison.