SERBIA: UN war crimes prosecutor expresses careful optimism on Mladic arrest, during Belgrade visit

Record ID: 644907

  • Title: SERBIA: UN war crimes prosecutor expresses careful optimism on Mladic arrest, during Belgrade visit
  • Date: 11th September 2008
  • Summary: (CEEF) BELGRADE, SERBIA (SEPTEMBER 10, 2008) (REUTERS) SPECIAL COURT BUILDING IN BELGRADE ENTRANCE TO SPECIAL COURT PLATE READING "SPECIAL COURT BELGRADE"
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Reuters ID: LVA4LIX06XEG2GXKN4HB7VLWD9PX
  • Story Text: UN prosecutor Serge Brammertz optimistic on Mladic arrest after meeting Serb officials.
    The United Nations chief war crimes prosecutor said on Wednesday (September 10) he was optimistic that Serbia would succeed in its efforts to arrest remaining war crimes fugitives.
    It is Brammertz's first trip to Belgrade since the July arrest of genocide suspect Radovan Karadzic, a breakthrough in Serbia's cooperation with the Hague-based war crimes court after years of patchy progress.
    The court wants to bring to justice Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic, who is indicted of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslims and the 43-month siege of Sarajevo in which around 14,000 people were killed.
    The other fugitive is Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic, indicted for crimes against humanity during the 1991-95 Croatian war.
    Serbian officials have said they have intensified efforts to capture the two men in order to help Serbia's move toward EU membership, a government priority.

    "Of course we are aware of our obligations, we know that job hasn't been finished yet, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that The Hague indictees are located as quickly as possible, and arrested and sent to The Hague," said Serb pointman Rasim Ljajic.
    Serbia signed an association agreement with the EU in April but the 27-nation bloc said it would wait for Brammertz's report on whether Serbia fully cooperates with the tribunal before allowing it to gain trade benefits.
    The formal move by the EU could come as early as September 15 at the foreign ministers' meeting.
    Diplomats say most EU member states want Serbia to move ahead on the EU path for the sake of stability in the Balkans. But the Netherlands, where the tribunal is based, insists that the remaining fugitives should be arrested before the accord benefits come into force.
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