Yugoslavia Frees 2 Australians It Jailed as Spies

Two Australian CARE workers convicted of spying during the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia were released Wednesday after receiving pardons from President Slobodan Milosevic.

Steve Pratt and Peter Wallace arrived Wednesday evening in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital. Milosevic pardoned the two after requests from Serbian emigres living in Australia, Serbian state television reported.

“President Milosevic did so as a sign of gratitude for all the support Yugoslavia received from Australian Serbs during the NATO aggression,” the broadcast said.

Still apparently in prison was a Yugoslav CARE worker, Branko Jelen, who was detained along with the two Australians.

Pratt and Wallace were arrested March 31, seven days after NATO launched its bombing campaign to force Milosevic to accept a peace plan for Kosovo, a province of Serbia, Yugoslavia’s dominant republic. Jelen was taken into custody April 8.

“They’re both stunned and amazed to be free,” said CARE Australia Chief Executive Charles Tapp. “They’re in reasonable condition given what they’ve been through,” added Tapp, who escorted them to Croatia. “I’m going to take them for a beer tonight.”

The two Australians were stopped when they tried to cross the border into Croatia en route to Kosovo.

Pratt was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Wallace to four years and Jelen to six years for spying. Their sentences were later reduced after the Australian government claimed that the charges were fabricated.

The trial and sentences of the three CARE workers sparked international condemnation and appeals for their release from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former South African President Nelson Mandela, among others.