SERBIA: U.N. war crimes prosecutor Serge Brammertz has criticised Serbia for not doing enough to locate and capture war criminal Ratko Mladic

Record ID: 644833

  • Title: SERBIA: U.N. war crimes prosecutor Serge Brammertz has criticised Serbia for not doing enough to locate and capture war criminal Ratko Mladic
  • Date: 11th May 2011
  • Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA ( MAY 11, 2011) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) SERBIAN PRESIDENT, BORIS TADIC (LEFT) WITH ASSOCIATES AND U.N. WAR CRIMES CHIEF PROSECUTOR, SERGE BRAMMERTZ (RIGHT), WITH ASSOCIATES SEATED BRAMMERTZ SEATED TADIC TALKING TWO DELEGATIONS SEATED BRAMMERTZ ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN WAR CRIMES CHIEF PROSECUTOR, SERGE BRAMMERTZ SAYING "The main issue discussed in the meetings here was of course the non-arrest of the fugitives Mladic and Hadzic." REPORTERS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN WAR CRIMES CHIEF PROSECUTOR, SERGE BRAMMERTZ SAYING "Where we are of the opinion that Serbia can do more and must do more." TADIC LISTENING TO REPORTER'S QUESTION REPORTERS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERBIAN PRESIDENT, BORIS TADIC, SAYING "You know, it was very difficult to find also location of Osama bin Laden, its not very easy to find that kind of locations taking in the consideration experienced people that we are looking for, and but, we have our own investigation, we are going to continue our investigations, this is not depend on other investigations that existing around the world. But we are expecting understanding, we are expecting technical support in that respect, and be sure that we are fully committed to continue our cooperation with the Hague Tribunal until arresting. First of all, locating and after that arresting Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic." REPORTER WRITING TADIC LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 26th May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia, Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA64MLEBDYCEOTD110MYS565P2G
  • Story Text: U.N. war crimes prosecutor Serge Brammertz has criticised Serbia for not doing enough to locate and capture war criminal Ratko Mladic during his visit to Belgrade on Wednesday, May 11.
    "We are of the opinion that Serbia can do more and must do more," Brammertz said at a press-conference, following his meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadic.
    Brammertz also cited the U.S. ability to find bin Laden living with his family in a Pakistani city as an example that sometimes fugitives are not in especially obscure locations.
    Boris Tadic called for understanding over Serbia's inability to find war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic, and cited the hunt for bin Laden as an example of the challenge to finding experienced fugitives.
    "You know, it was very difficult to find also location of Osama bin Laden, its not very easy to find that kind of locations taking in the consideration experienced people that we are looking for, and but, we have our own investigation, we are going to continue our investigations, this is not depend on other investigations that existing around the world. But we are expecting understanding, we are expecting technical support in that respect, and be sure that we are fully committed to continue our cooperation with the Hague Tribunal until arresting. First of all, locating and after that arresting Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic," Tadic said.
    Mladic, a former Bosnian Serb military commander, is charged with genocide in the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica and other war crimes including the 1992-95 siege of Sarajevo in which 10,000 people died.
    Serbia's failure to capture Mladic and the second remaining war crimes fugitive Goran Hadzic, who led rebel Serbs in Croatia during the war, has slowed Serbian efforts to progress towards eventual European Union membership.
    Mladic is believed to be in Serbia, perhaps in or around the capital Belgrade, supported by a small band of ex or current Serb military loyalists.
    Experts have cited vast anonymous housing complexes dating back to Yugoslav times as the type of place Mladic could have gone undetected for years.
    Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was arrested in Belgrade three years ago.
    Brammertz arrived in Belgrade ahead of submitting his latest bi-annual report to the United Nations next week.
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