HC Deb 21 March 1945 vol 409 cc788-90
12. Captain Duncan

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can now give an approximate estimate of the numbers of Yugoslays who have been tried by the special anti-Fascist courts and courts-martial, respectively, for collaboration with the enemy, and how many convictions have been obtained; what sentences have been imposed; and how many of those convicted have been Serbs.

Mr. Law

As the answer is somewhat long and detailed I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the reply:

I am informed that the special anti-Fascist courts which were set up in Serbia in mid-January had passed sentence in 17 cases up to 15th March. Most of the sentences passed have been for five years' forced labour or less, and loss of civil rights from two to eight years. The maximum sentence of 10 years' forced labour, confiscation of property and permanent loss of civil rights has been passed in absentia against two industrialists for economic collaboration. In two cases there has been a sentence of loss of civil rights for eight years without any sentence of forced labour and in a third case the accused though found guilty received no sentence. There has been one acquittal and four cases of adjournment for further investigation and one case of adjournment to enable the accused to produce witnesses for the defence. The sessions of these special courts are held in public and the accused is permitted defending counsel and may produce witnesses for the defence.

These special courts have so far only been set up in Serbia. Similar courts are to be set up shortly in Macedonia. The only figures which I can give for cases tried by the Yugoslav military courts relate to the Serb Federal Unit, that is to say Serbia proper and the Vojvodina. In Serbia proper 165 death sentences and 39 sentences of imprisonment have been reported to have been passed by the military courts since October, 1944. The majority of the persons accused have been Serbs. Sentences of imprisonment or forced labour have in few cases been for longer than five years and are normally accompanied by loss of civil rights. In the Vojvodina 75 death sentences have been reported, for the most part again Croatian Ustashi and Hungarians who had been guilty of crimes against Serbs. Crimes for which death sentences have been passed in Serbia can be analysed as follows:

  1. (a) Political, economic and cultural collaboration: 33.
  2. (b) Members of Cetnik, Nedic and Ljotic forces guilty of terrorism, atrocities, etc.: 62.
  3. (c) Informers, police agents, spies, etc.: 70.
The military courts have also tried civilians for crimes committed since the liberation such as looting, making false declarations to the military authorities, bribery, etc., 12 death sentences and 37 sentences of imprisonment have been reported in the Serb Federal Unit in cases of this kind.