MIKHAILOVITCH SHOT

Chronicle (Levin), 18 July 1946, Page 5

MIKHAILOVITCH SHOT

Press Assn

Last-Minute Pleas Fail CO-DEFENDANTS EXECUTED

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Thursday, 10. oO a.m. LONDON, July 17. General Draga Mikhailovitch, the Chetnik leader, and eight co-defendants, who were found guilty by a Yugoslav Court of collaboration with the Germans, and who were sentenced to death, were shot this morning. , Only military and other officials / were present when. Mikhailovitch I and the eight others were executed, ^ says Reuter's Belgrade correspondent. The eight shot with Mikhailovitch were Draghi Yovanovitch, Belgrade police ehief during the occupation; Milan Glishitch and Radoslav Radich, members of Mikhailovitch'S staff; Velibor Yonitch, Tanasje Dinitch and General Jure Dokitch, members of the Quislmg Government; General Kosta Mushicki; and the former deputy, Paolovitch. The other two sentenced to death, Peter Zhivkovitch and Mladen Zujovitch, were both tried in their absence. The Associated Press correspondent says that the Belgrade pepple lost all interest in Mikhailovitch and the others once they had been sentenced to death. The authorities were difndent about issuing a statement regarding the executions, the correspondent adds. Their attitude was that the news thereon was not important The convicted men were probably shot at dawn, according lo longstanding military custom. Although it was stated that the Yuaoslav law had to take its course, efforts were made behind the scenes to save Mikhailovitch from the firing squad. The Foreign Office sent all the facts in Mikhailovitch's i'avour to Belgrade, and last-minute pleas were made tactfully and unofficially by diplomats to Marshal Tito. The "Daily Telegraph" reported that ex-King Peter of Yugoslavia appealed to King George, President Truman and the French President (M. Bidault) to intervene on behalf of Mikhailovitch.