“It is a fight for truth, dignity and for our children’s future”
Interview with lawyer Srđan Aleksić on a new ruling
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ef. Current Concerns has repeatedly reported on the work of Srđan Aleksić, the courageous lawyer from Serbia who, five years ago, set about helping the many victims of the NATO war against the former Yugoslavia (1999) who developed cancer as a result of the attacks with depleted uranium (DU). Even 27 years after this NATO aggression, the number of cancer cases continues to rise.
Dragan Andric is another of the many victims affected by this war. He took part in the military operations in Kosovo and subsequently developed thyroid cancer. With the help of his lawyer, Srđjan Aleksić, he sued the Serbian state for damages in court in Vršac (Vojvodina) and won his case. The judgement states: “Following a legal assessment of the established facts, the court is of the opinion that the plaintiff’s claim is well-founded and has therefore acknowledged it in full.”
A notable feature: in its judgment, the court in Vršac explicitly adopted Italian case law regarding the causal connection between the occurrence of cancer and exposure to DU.
Current Concerns: On 9 April 2026, you secured another favourable judgment at the court in Vršac. What makes this judgment so significant?
Srđjan Aleksić: This judgement is far more than just a legal success. It is a victory for justice and a victory for the people who have been fighting for years against a serious illness and for their dignity. The court has once again recognised that there is a causal connection between exposure to depleted uranium following the NATO bombing in 1999 and the occurrence of serious cancers.
The decision from Vršac confirms that the Serbian judiciary is increasingly willing to acknowledge what many of those affected and their families have known for decades: Their illness is no coincidence, but the result of long-term contamination of soil, water and air. This judgement gives hope to thousands of people across Serbia who have lost their health, their quality of life or even loved ones.
For me, as a lawyer and as a human being, this judgement has a very personal significance. It shows that no fight for truth and justice is in vain, and that perseverance, expertise and trust in the law can lead to success even in seemingly hopeless situations.
What are the key principles on which this judgement is based?
The judgement is based on comprehensive medical documentation, reports from independent experts, and numerous national and international scientific studies. These demonstrate the harmful health effects of exposure to depleted uranium.
The court recognised that this is not a mere coincidence in timing, but a serious causal link between residence in contaminated areas and the subsequent occurrence of serious malignant diseases. Furthermore, it was established that the state is obliged to protect its citizens and to grant them fair compensation in the event of harm.
The experience of the Italian courts was also of particular significance, as they have reached the same conclusions in numerous cases.
To what extent can this new verdict support your long-term goal of suing NATO for damages?
Every final judgement in Serbia is another step towards NATO being held accountable under international law. When national courts establish the causal connection between the bombing and serious illnesses, a solid factual and legal basis is created for future proceedings before international bodies.
Our aim is not merely to help individual families. We want to ensure that responsibility for the long-term consequences of these weapons is recognised both historically and legally. I am convinced that the day will come when those who decided to use such munitions will have to answer to international institutions and to history.
Did Italian case law play a role in this ruling?
Absolutely. My friend and colleague the Italian lawyer Angelo Fiore Tartaglia has demonstrated, through more than 500 successful rulings in favour of Italian soldiers and their families, that it is possible to ensure that the truth prevails in court even against powerful institutions.
These experiences have strengthened us not only legally, but also on a human level. They have proven that justice knows no bounds and that the same truth recognised in Italy can also hold true in Serbia.
Why do you consider the use of depleted uranium to be a war crime?
Because the effects of this munition do not disappear with the end of a war. They persist for decades, contaminating soil, water and air, and affecting civilians above all – children, pregnant women, farmers and future generations.
When weapons are used whose consequences are long-term, uncontrollable and indiscriminately affect the civilian population, the question arises, from a legal and moral perspective, of a serious violation of humanitarian principles. That is why their use must be comprehensively assessed from a legal standpoint.
How do you explain to your fellow citizens why you are suing the Serbian state?
I am not suing Serbia as a nation, and certainly not my own people. On the contrary: I am taking legal action so that Serbian citizens receive from their state the protection and compensation to which they are entitled by law.
If the state compensates its citizens, it gains the right to reclaim these sums from those actually responsible for the damage. This does not weaken Serbia, but strengthens it legally.
What are your next steps?
We will continue to file new lawsuits on behalf of affected citizens from all parts of Serbia.
At the same time, we are gathering additional medical, scientific and legal evidence and deepening our cooperation with experts from Italy, Germany and other countries.
Furthermore, we will continue our public and international advocacy work. My aim is to ensure that no family that has lost their health or a loved one is left without justice.
This is not merely a legal battle. It is a fight for truth, dignity and the future of our children. Justice may take time, but when it is based on truth, it is ultimately unstoppable. •
DU rulings in Italy
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“The first court cases concerning the consequences of depleted uranium began in Italy, thanks to the extraordinary work of lawyer Angelo Fiore Tartaglia. He was the first in Europe to succeed in proving in court the causal link between exposure to uranium and cancer in Italian soldiers who served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.
Based on the findings of Italian laboratories and nanotechnological tissue analyses, Italian courts recognised the state’s responsibility and awarded compensation to those affected [in over 500 cases to date]. These cases set a precedent in international law and form the basis for further proceedings throughout Europe.
Based on this, Serbia has initiated its own proceedings. These are not an isolated national initiative, but part of an international legal battle for the recognition of responsibility and the right to health.
The jurisprudence in these cases requires a combination of scientific, medical and legal evidence – and Italy was the first country to show how science can become evidence in the service of the law.”
Source: Srđan Aleksić, “Uranium 238 – Human Rights and State Responsibility”; excerpt from his speech in the German Bundestag on 5 November 2025.
(Translation Current Concerns)
Yes to life
Address of Pope Leo XIV to students, teaching staff and invited guests during his pastoral visit to the University of Rome “La Sapienza” on 14 May 2026 (excerpt)
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[…] It is the pervasive lie of a distorted system, which reduces people to numbers, exacerbating competitiveness and leaving us caught in spirals of anxiety. It is precisely this spiritual malaise felt by many young people that reminds us that we are not the sum of what we have, nor a random collection of matter in a silent cosmos. We are a desire, not an algorithm! It is precisely this special dignity of ours that leads me to share two questions with you.
To you young people, this unease asks: “Who are you?”. Being ourselves, in fact, is the defining commitment of every man and woman’s life. “Who are you?” is the question we ask one another; the question we silently pose to God; the question only we can answer for ourselves, but which we can never answer alone. We are our relationships, our language, our culture: all the more reason why it is vital that our university years be a time of great encounters.
Therefore, to those who are more mature, the malaise of youth asks: “What kind of world are we leaving behind?”. A world, sadly, crippled by wars and the rhetoric of war. This is a pollution of reason, which, from the geopolitical level, invades every social relationship. The simplification that creates enemies must therefore be corrected, especially in universities, through an appreciation of complexity and the wise exercise of memory. In particular, the tragedy of the twentieth century must not be forgotten. The cry, “Never again war!”, of my Predecessors […] spurs us on to a spiritual alliance with the sense of justice that dwells in the hearts of young people, with their vocation not to shut themselves away behind ideologies and national borders.
For example, over the past year, the increase in military spending worldwide, and particularly in Europe, has been enormous: let us not call “defence” a rearmament that increases tensions and insecurity, depletes investment in education and health, undermines trust in diplomacy, and enriches elites who care nothing for the common good. We must also keep a watchful eye on the development and application of artificial intelligence in both military and civilian contexts, to ensure that they do not absolve humans of responsibility for their choices and do not exacerbate the tragedy of conflicts. What is happening in Ukraine, Gaza and the Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Iran illustrates the inhuman evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation. Study, research and investment must move in the opposite direction: let them be a radical “yes” to life! Yes to innocent life, yes to young life, yes to the life of peoples who invoke peace and justice!
Source: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/may/documents/20260514-visita-pastorale-sapienza.html of 14 May 2026