SERBIA: Human rights activist Natasha Kandic says Serbia must face the truth about the past

Record ID: 1526192

  • Title: SERBIA: Human rights activist Natasha Kandic says Serbia must face the truth about the past
  • Date: 30th July 2008
  • Summary: (BN10) BELGRADE, SERBIA (JULY 30, 2008) (REUTERS) BELGRADE HIGHWAY GRAFFITI READING 'LONG LIVE RADOVAN KARADZIC' POSTERS OF RADOVAN KARADZIC CLOSE OF POSTER OF KARADZIC (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL ANALYST ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC SAYING: "This is a major step towards Serbia's place in Europe where the country belongs. Serbia must now face through this trial and through every next trial, perhaps of, hopefully of, General Ratko Mladic soon, to face everything that was done and undertaken in the name of the people of Serbia including crimes and atrocities and everything else." VASOVIC TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL ANALYST ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC SAYING: "The political importance of this move is also significant for Serbia because this definitely solidifies the pro-European coalition. This will further bond socialists and democrats, hopefully this will be one of the steps that will allow them to function for the entire 4 year mandate and effectively lead the country towards the European Union." NATASHA KANDIC, DIRECTOR OF HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTRE, SPEAKING ON TELEPHONE IN HER OFFICE CLOSE OF KANDIC SPEAKING ON TELEPHONE KANDIC'S REFLECTION ON MONITOR SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) NATASHA KANDIC, DIRECTOR OF HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTRE, SAYING: "The extradition of Radovan Karadzic to the Hague is not only fulfilling the international obligation but it's making conditions for what was done in Bosnia and Herzegovina. First of all I think the genocide and the most important thing now is the process of proving that accusation and that will be a chance that here in Serbia will talk about Radovan Karadzic in a different way -- in the context of the trial in the context of the facts, in the context of evidence which will be given in the court and that's a chance that this society opens public dialogue about the war crimes and finally that that story about the Serb heroes, about the defence of the Serbian people to be stopped and instead of that to show the facts and only on the basis of facts to discuss the war crimes." BOOKS ON SHELF
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2008 17:57
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: Legal System,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA57ZWLF1NWTERUPFENX2L1CZX1
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: War crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic was taken into custody by the U.N. war crimes tribunal on Wednesday (July 30) to face trial at The Hague on charges of genocide for his actions in the 1992-95 Bosnia war.
    The former Bosnian Serb leader was extradited from Serbia after his arrest in Belgrade last week.
    On Tuesday (July 29), some 10,000 hardline Serb nationalists, many brought by bus from rural nationalist strongholds, showed their support for Karadzic in downtown Belgrade, chanting his name and holding up giant banners with his picture. Posters remained lining Belgrade streets and highways.
    Graffiti on one wall read 'long live Karadzic'.
    Karadzic's delivery to The Hague was key to Serbia securing closer ties with the European Union and his arrest was seen as a pro-Western signal by the new government sworn in this month.
    Political analyst Aleksandar Vasovic told Reuters, "This is a major step towards Serbia's place in Europe where the country belongs. Serbia must now face through this trial and through every next trial, perhaps of, hopefully of, General Ratko Mladic soon, to face everything that was done and undertaken in the name of the people of Serbia including crimes and atrocities and everything else."
    Vasovic added the arrest and extradition should strengthen the coalition, "The political importance of this move is also significant for Serbia because this definitely solidifies the pro-European coalition. This will further bond socialists and democrats, hopefully this will be one of the steps that will allow them to function for the entire 4 year mandate and effectively lead the country towards the European Union."
    Karadzic faces two charges of genocide for the 43-month siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica, the worst atrocity in Europe since World War Two.
    Human rights activist Natasha Kandic told Reuters:
    "The extradition of Radovan Karadzic to the Hague is not only fulfilling the international obligation but it's making conditions for what was done in Bosnia and Herzegovina. First of all I think the genocide and the most important thing now is the process of proving that accusation and that will be a chance that here in Serbia will talk about Radovan Karadzic in a different way -- in the context of the trial in the context of the facts, in the context of evidence which will be given in the court and that's a chance that this society opens public dialogue about the war crimes and finally that that story about the Serb heroes, about the defence of the Serbian people to be stopped and instead of that to show the facts and only on the basis of facts to discuss the war crimes."
    In 2005 Kandic handed over video of the Serbian paramilitary Scorpions unit killing six Muslim youths near Srebrenica in 1995.
    Karadzic, 63, will appear before the court in coming days, at which time he can enter a plea. His lawyer in Belgrade has said Karadzic believes he will be cleared of genocide and will defend himself.
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