SERBIA: U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte praises Serbia for "serious commitment" to the handover of war crimes fugitives

Record ID: 1530401

  • Title: SERBIA: U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte praises Serbia for "serious commitment" to the handover of war crimes fugitives
  • Date: 7th June 2007
  • Summary: (EU) BELGRADE, SERBIA (JUNE 6, 2007) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SERBIAN PRESIDENT BORIS TADIC AND CARLA DEL PONTE MEETING DEL PONTE TALKING WITH TADIC TADIC
  • Embargoed: 22nd June 2007 14:36
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVACZN7APV52QM12RO4C96NTZGVI
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte praises Serbia for "serious commitment" to the handover of war crimes fugitives, and says there may be other positive results before her June 18 formal report. U.N. War Crimes Prosecutor Carla del Ponte said she was pleased with Serbia's attitude to arresting war criminals after meeting Serbian President Boris Tadic in Belgrade on Wednesday (June 6).
    "I must say I noticed serious commitment (to us) and am very grateful about the full cooperation with us," Del Ponte said at a news conference after the meeting
    Del Ponte's comments come after the handover last week of Bosnian Serb General Zdravko Tolimir, an aide to The Hague tribunal's most wanted man, Ratko Mladic, who masterminded the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims.
    Serb judicial and police sources say two further fugitives of five still at large, Croatian Serb Goran Hadzic and Bosnian Serb Stojan Zupljanin, have been located and could be handed over soon.
    There was no immediate word on the prospects of capturing Mladic, Del Ponte's main target for the past four years.
    The Swiss Prosecutor said on Wednesday she expects all fugitives to be handed over soon.
    "I hope that we will be able to obtain the arrest in priority of the accused Mladic very, very soon, she said.
    "I want results," Del Ponte said, adding,"The question is when. The answer is now."
    Arresting fugitives is key to Serbia's hopes of closer ties with the European Union, on ice since Brussels suspended talks in 2006 to punish Belgrade's inaction. The EU was pleased by Tolimir's arrest, but is waiting for Del Ponte's report before setting a date for resuming the negotiations.
    kl/jrc
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