Dragan a 'hero', not war criminal

DRAGAN Vasiljkovic has described himself as a "hero" and denied involvement in the murder and torture of war prisoners in the Balkans.

ACCUSED war criminal Dragan Vasiljkovic has described himself as a "hero" of Serbia, and has again denied any involvement in the murder, rape and torture of prisoners of war during the conflict in the Balkans in the early 1990s.

Mr Vasiljkovic, who is suing Nationwide News over an article published in The Australian in September 2005, told the NSW Supreme Court today that he never spoke to any Croatian prisoners of war, and didn't abuse them or condone their torture.

The 54-year-old, who was the leader of a paramilitary group in Serbia during the war in the former Yugoslavia, said that rather than being a war criminal, he was in fact a war hero.

"I became to my enemy a legend, and I think to every serb - or at least 90 per cent of them - they perceive me as a hero."

Under cross examination from Nationwide News counsel Tom Blackburn SC, Mr Vasiljkovic said "fascist elements" within the Croatian government wanted him dead.

"They want to kill me and they will do it. I just don't understand why you (Nationwide News) are participating in this cold blooded murder."

Mr Vasiljkovic, who was known as captain dragan during his time as a commander of serbian forces, compared the legal action he had brought against Nationwide News to a David and Goliath battle.

"I am fighting Goliath, the most powerful man since the dawn of time. But I don't have a sling, I have the handcuffs."

Mr Vasiljkovic said the witnesses who had given evidence against him at the defamation hearing had "perverted the course of justice".

The hearing continues.