BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A rights group has sharply criticized the Serbian government after the defense ministry published and promoted books written by two former generals convicted of war crimes by a U.N. court.

The Youth Initiative for Human Rights on Saturday said the move amounted to open state support for the war criminals sentenced by the Yugoslav tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.

The court convicted ex-generals Nebojsa Pavkovic and Vladimir Lazarevic for atrocities committed by Serb troops in Kosovo during the 1998-99 violence that left over 10,000 people dead and nearly 1 million chased from homes. Pavkovic is serving a 22-year prison term, while Lazarevic has returned to Serbia after 14 years in jail.

Serbia's defense ministry is presenting the two ex-generals' war memorials at the Belgrade Book Fair this week.