13 June 2005

War Crimes Tribunal Will Not End Until Karadzic Tried
Officials of International Tribunal report to Security Council

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- Senior officials of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) continue to press governments to turn over major fugitives for trial at The Hague.

Appearing before the Security Council June 13, Carla Del Ponte, the chief prosecutor, and Judge Theodor Meron, ICTY president, emphasized that as the 10th anniversary of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, approaches, three major architects of the bloodshed remain at large.

"As long as Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Ante Gotovina manage to escape justice and defy the international community, the work of this tribunal will remain unfinished," Del Ponte said during a public meeting of the Security Council.

When 10-year commemorations of Srebrenica are held in July, she said, all those attending will wonder why those primarily responsible for the genocide are still not in custody.

Del Ponte said she would not participate in any commemoration of the genocide unless Karadzic and Mladic are arrested. Karadzic, Mladic and Dravko Tolimir, she said, are the three accused most responsible for Srebrenica who are still at large.

She noted that there has been a "major change in attitude" by Serbian authorities, especially in transferring fugitives and newly indicted persons. Access to documents and witnesses "is continuously improving," although the process remains "very slow and cumbersome," Del Ponte said.

Serbia has transferred 14 accused criminals to the Hague, including six who are indicted for Srebrenica, she said, and Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica gave her assurances that his government will deliver on seven fugitives within reach of Serbian authorities, including Karadzic, Mladic and Tolimir.

But Del Ponte added that she understands that Serbia is not willing to carry out arrest operations and seems to have a policy of "voluntary surrenders" which has "reached its limits."

"It is essential that the authorities in Podgorica and Banja Luka cooperate more closely with Belgrade and also with NATO and EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is the most promising way to locate Radovan Karadzic. Also, the political support of the international community remains of paramount importance," Del Ponte said.

Information points to the conclusion that two other fugitives, Vlastimir Djordjevic and Dragan Zelenovic, are in Russia, the prosecutor said.

Of concern, Del Ponte said, is that Croatian authorities "have not fulfilled their obligation to locate, arrest and transfer Ante Gotovina. In the first part of 2005, the efforts made by the authorities were neither proactive nor focused, and several incidents occurred where sensitive information was manipulated so as to obstruct the investigation against Gotovina and his protective networks."

Judge Meron said the tribunal "will not have fulfilled its historic mission -- and it will not close its doors -- until Karadzic, Mladic and Gotovina have been arrested, brought to The Hague, and tried before the tribunal in accordance with the full procedural protections recognized by our jurisprudence."

He reported that "the pace is unrelenting" with the court working at "maximum capacity," handling six cases simultaneously. Four new trials are expected to begin before the end of 2005. In addition, 22 new accused have arrived at The Hague in the past six months.

The court also has begun referring cases involving intermediate and lower ranking accused to national jurisdictions. Bosnia and Herzegovina's war crimes chamber opened in March and one case has already been referred there, Meron said.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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