Arrest of Radovan Karadžic
Encyclopedia
Radovan Karadžić
was arrested in Belgrade
and extradited into International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
custody in The Hague
in July 2008, as the 44th Serb/Montenegrin suspect sent to The Hague.
Karadžić had been hiding disguised under the alias Dr. Dragan David Dabić (Драган Давид Дабић) offering his services as a doctor of alternative medicine
under the company name of "Human Quantum Energy".
He was able to walk around freely and appear in public without being identified, he spent his days at the local kafana
"Luda kuća" drinking Slivovitz, singing folk poetry and playing Gusle
(in front of the pictures of Karadžić and Mladic
on the walls of the cafe).
The website of Dabić's company at www.psy-help-energy.com was maintained by Zoran Pavlović of Pavlović Consulting, Belgrade.
When inverviewed by Belgrade's Blic
newspaper, Pavlović stated that he had frequently met with Dabić, discussing alternative medicine, sports and sometimes politics, without the least suspicion of his true identity. He described Dabić as a friendly and eloquent individual towards whom he had felt sympathetic.
Dabić had published several articles in the Zdrav život ("healthy life") journal of alternative medicine since October 2007. Announced as "Spiritual Explorer", he also gave lectures comparing meditation techniques practiced by Orthodox monks. On 23 May 2008, Dabić gave a talk at the "Third Festival of Healthy Life" (Treći Festival zdravog života)
on the topic of "how to cherish one's own energies" (Kako negovati sopstvene energije).
The editor of the Zdrav život journal, Goran Kojic, confirmed that Dabić appeared as a highly cultured and sympathetic man, speaking Serbian free of any Bosnian accent.
Serbian minister of health Tomica Milosavljević
stated that there was no registration for a Dragan or David Dabić as a licenced physician. The arrest came just two days before the ICTY's chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz
, was due to visit Serbia.
, Austria where he lived under the name Petar Glumac posing as a Croatian seller of herbal solutions and ointments. The Austrian police
talked to him during a raid regarding an unrelated homicide case in the area where Karadžić lived but failed to recognize his real identity. He had a Croatian passport
under the name Petar Glumac and claimed to be in Vienna for training. Police did not ask any further questions nor demanded to fingerprint him as he appeared calm and readily answered questions. His nephew, Dragan Karadžić has claimed in an interview to the Corriere della Sera
that Radovan Karadžić attended football matches of Serie A
and that he visited Venice
under the false identity of Petar Glumac.
took place on 21 July 2008 in Belgrade
. However, UK's Channel 4 News
reported that Karadžić's lawyer, Sveta Vujacić, stated "I'm 100 % sure that ... Radovan Karadžić was arrested on 18 July at half past nine (in the evening) ..." These claims were refuted by the president of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajić
.
Milan Dilparić, an investigative judge at Serbia's special war crimes tribunal, terminated the investigation and ruled: "all conditions have been met for his transfer to the Hague to face trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
. The decision could be appealed within 72 hours to the appeals board, and its decision is final. Karadžić was examined by a doctor, and would remain in a special detention unit of Serbia's war crimes court pending transfer to the UN tribunal.
The "Daily Telegraph" reported that the former general of the Bosnian Serb army Ratko Mladic gave away the whereabouts of Karadžić in order to avoid prosecution from the Hague. It also reported that Mladic, with the help of his people, is talking about giving himself up.
A statement issued by the office of President Boris Tadić
said: "Radovan Karadžić was located and arrested tonight [and] was brought to the investigative judge of the War Crimes Court in Belgrade, in accordance with the law on cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia." Serbian security forces were credited with having located and captured Karadžić, without any further details being given of the circumstances. Sources in the Serbian government told Reuters news agency he had been under surveillance for several weeks, following a tip-off from a foreign intelligence service. The arrest has been confirmed by the ICTY.
Karadžić was transferred to The Hague
into ICTY
custody on 30 July. He was detained in a jail cell Wednesday that Slobodan Milošević
used. The jail is in a separate wing of a Dutch prison near the seaside resort of Scheveningen. Until conviction, he will remain in the center, which has 84 cells, and locked up with 37 other detainees from the 1990 Balkan wars. Each cell (5.1 meters by 3 meters - 17 by 10 feet), has a shower, toilet, wash basin and desk. Inmates enjoy computers (without Internet access), television channels, and have arts, languages or sciences courses. Gym, outdoor courtyard, library, recreation room for darts, table tennis and board games are shared. After conviction, however, they would serve sentences in countries that volunteered to imprison them. Karadzic will appear before Judge Alphons Orie Thursday, in the tribunal, which has sentenced 56 accused since 1993.
, crimes against humanity and severe breaches of the Geneva Convention for his role in the 1992-1995 Bosnian war
, especially for the Srebrenica massacre
of July 1995.
Consolidating two 1995 indictments into one single document, the current indictment against Karadžić (IT-95-5/18) was confirmed on 31 May 2000. Specifically, it includes one count of a grave breach of the Geneva conventions of 1949, three counts of violations of the laws or customs of war, two counts of genocide and five counts of crimes against humanity.
Karadžić announced he will represent himself during the trial. If convicted, his sentence could be the longest pronounced by the court, exceeding 40 years, which in practice amounts to a life sentence. Karadžić is expected to be tried before a three-judge panel in an open court with a tape-delayed feed; proceedings will be in English with Serbian translation. Judge Alphons Orie
(Netherlands) was designated to hold a first interview with Karadžić on 31 July, with the purpose of establishing whether he understands the charges leveled against him. Orie will also present a first opportunity to Karadžić to plead "guilty" or "not guilty" to each of the 11 counts. Karadžić will be free to delay his plea for 30 days, after which, "not guilty" will automatically be entered on his behalf in the absence of a "guilty" plea.
He claimed there is a conspiracy against him and refused to enter a plea, therefore the court entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf to all 11 charges. He dismissed the tribunal
chaired by Scottish judge Iain Bonomy, as a “court of NATO” disguised as a court of the international community. Karadzic insists on defending himself (as he is entitled to under the United Nations court's rules) while at the same time is setting up a team of advisers led by his Legal Advisor Peter Robinson
of the United States. Judge Bonomy urged Karadžić to hire an attorney and set 20 January as a tentative date for a new status conference.
On 3 September 2010, judges warned that Karadžić's trial could take two years longer than expected and stretch into 2014 if prosecutors and Karadžić do not speed up the case.
along with Richard Holbrooke
offered him a deal which would allow him not to get prosecuted for war crimes if he would disappear from public life and politics. According to Karadžić, Albright offered him to get out of the way and go to Russia, Greece, or Serbia
and open a private clinic or to at least go to Bijeljina
. He also said that Holbrooke or Albright would like to see him disappear and expressed the fear for his life by saying "I do not know how long the arm of Mr Holbrooke or Mrs Albright is ... or whether that arm can reach me here". Richard Holbrooke refuted such claims, calling them lies in a Spiegel
interview shortly after Karadzic's arrest, but Muhamed Sacirbey
, Bosnian foreign minister at the time, said that a Karadžić-Holbrooke deal that was made in July 1996 was indeed in existence, and former Bosnian Serb foreign minister Aleksa Buha claimed that he witnessed the agreement which was made during the night between 18 and 19 July 1996. Claims of such a deal were also investigated by journalists before the capture and trial of Mr Karadzic.
After the allegations were broadcast internationally, the Serbian newspaper Blic
claimed that Karadžić was under US protection in exchange for him keeping a low profile and not participating in politics, quoting a "US intelligence source" as saying that the protection ended in 2000 when the CIA intercepted a phone call of Karadžić in which it became apparent that Karadžić chaired a meeting of his old political party.
Greek newspaper Kathimerini
wrote, on 6 August 2008, that according to a Serbian newspaper a former court official wrote a book in which it is claimed that the United States and other Western states had a deal with Karadžić, protected him from arrest, and a US diplomat told Karadzic that he could hide in a NATO base.
, president of The Hague tribunal, Karadžić moved to disqualify and replace presiding Dutch judge Alphons Orie, on the ground of "personal" interest and bias to convict him in order to reinforce and justify "draconian" sentences in his earlier ICTY cases against former Bosnian Serbs leaders: "There clearly cannot be any question of impartiality on his [Judge Orie's] part. He would now be keen on having that ruling "upheld and somehow validated, which could be achieved through, inter alia, partial and biased conduct of the case against me". Karadžić also asked the other judges of Orie's chamber replaced. Preliminary investigations of tribunal cases are conducted by a judge, but trials are heard by a panel of three. The tribunal has no juries.
The Hague tribunal president, Fausto Pocar, replaced the whole judge panel on 21 August 2008. The new presiding judge will be Patrick Lipton Robinson
.
Dragan Dabic
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
was arrested in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and extradited into International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
custody in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in July 2008, as the 44th Serb/Montenegrin suspect sent to The Hague.
Karadžić had been hiding disguised under the alias Dr. Dragan David Dabić (Драган Давид Дабић) offering his services as a doctor of alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
under the company name of "Human Quantum Energy".
Dabić identity
He had lived in Jurija Gagarina Street 267 (Blok 45), in New Belgrade for 18 months (He had been in Belgrade for 3 years as "Dabić",) had grown long white hair and a long white beard, used glasses. Using false ID, and going by the false name Dragan Dabić, he had been practicing at a private medical clinic, specializing in alternative medicine and claiming to be a doctor of neuro-psychiatry.He was able to walk around freely and appear in public without being identified, he spent his days at the local kafana
Kafana
Kafana , kafeana , kavana are terms used in the former Yugoslav countries for a distinct type of local bistro which primarily serves alcoholic beverages and coffee , and which sometimes also has a live band.The concept of a social gathering place for men to drink...
"Luda kuća" drinking Slivovitz, singing folk poetry and playing Gusle
Gusle
The Gusle is a single-stringed musical instrument traditionally used in the Dinarides region of the Balkans ....
(in front of the pictures of Karadžić and Mladic
Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić is an accused war criminal and a former Bosnian Serb military leader. On May 31, 2011, Mladić was extradited to The Hague, where he was processed at the detention center that holds suspects for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia...
on the walls of the cafe).
The website of Dabić's company at www.psy-help-energy.com was maintained by Zoran Pavlović of Pavlović Consulting, Belgrade.
When inverviewed by Belgrade's Blic
Blic (newspaper)
Blic is a tabloid daily newspaper in Serbia owned by Ringier AG group from Switzerland.Started in 1996, it has gone through a slight format change during the mid 2000s to include more in-depth coverage, but it is still, as its name aptly suggest, a paper devoted to quick, concise,...
newspaper, Pavlović stated that he had frequently met with Dabić, discussing alternative medicine, sports and sometimes politics, without the least suspicion of his true identity. He described Dabić as a friendly and eloquent individual towards whom he had felt sympathetic.
Dabić had published several articles in the Zdrav život ("healthy life") journal of alternative medicine since October 2007. Announced as "Spiritual Explorer", he also gave lectures comparing meditation techniques practiced by Orthodox monks. On 23 May 2008, Dabić gave a talk at the "Third Festival of Healthy Life" (Treći Festival zdravog života)
on the topic of "how to cherish one's own energies" (Kako negovati sopstvene energije).
The editor of the Zdrav život journal, Goran Kojic, confirmed that Dabić appeared as a highly cultured and sympathetic man, speaking Serbian free of any Bosnian accent.
Serbian minister of health Tomica Milosavljević
Tomica Milosavljevic
Tomica Milosavljević, Prof Dr sci is Serbian politician. He was Minister of Health in the Government of Serbia until January 28, 2011...
stated that there was no registration for a Dragan or David Dabić as a licenced physician. The arrest came just two days before the ICTY's chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz
Serge Brammertz
Serge Brammertz is a Belgian jurist, and the prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.Brammertz was deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court from 2002 to 2007...
, was due to visit Serbia.
Capture evasion in Austria
Radovan Karadžić evaded capture in May 2007 in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria where he lived under the name Petar Glumac posing as a Croatian seller of herbal solutions and ointments. The Austrian police
Federal Police (Austria)
The Federal Police is the law enforcement agency of Austria. The Austrian Federal Police were formed in July 2005 as one formal unit of police. Before 2005 the police system operated the Gendarmerie for most of the country, and the Polizei in the heavy city and urban areas such as Vienna,...
talked to him during a raid regarding an unrelated homicide case in the area where Karadžić lived but failed to recognize his real identity. He had a Croatian passport
Croatian passport
A Croatian passport is issued to citizens of the Republic of Croatia for the purpose of international travel. The passport has the purpose of serving as proof of Croatian citizenship and identity. Responsibility for their issuance lies with the Ministry of the Interior; and for citizens abroad,...
under the name Petar Glumac and claimed to be in Vienna for training. Police did not ask any further questions nor demanded to fingerprint him as he appeared calm and readily answered questions. His nephew, Dragan Karadžić has claimed in an interview to the Corriere della Sera
Corriere della Sera
The Corriere della Sera is an Italian daily newspaper, published in Milan.It is among the oldest and most reputable Italian newspapers. Its main rivals are Rome's La Repubblica and Turin's La Stampa.- History :...
that Radovan Karadžić attended football matches of Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and that he visited Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
under the false identity of Petar Glumac.
Arrest and extradition
The arrest of Radovan KaradžićRadovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
took place on 21 July 2008 in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. However, UK's Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News is the news division of British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since the broadcaster's launch in 1982.-Channel 4 News:...
reported that Karadžić's lawyer, Sveta Vujacić, stated "I'm 100 % sure that ... Radovan Karadžić was arrested on 18 July at half past nine (in the evening) ..." These claims were refuted by the president of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajić
Rasim Ljajic
Rasim Ljajić is the current Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Affairs of Serbia since 15 May 2007. He is a medical graduate. He is the President of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia, elected on 21 January 2007 on the list of the Democratic Party in the parliament, where it has three...
.
Milan Dilparić, an investigative judge at Serbia's special war crimes tribunal, terminated the investigation and ruled: "all conditions have been met for his transfer to the Hague to face trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
. The decision could be appealed within 72 hours to the appeals board, and its decision is final. Karadžić was examined by a doctor, and would remain in a special detention unit of Serbia's war crimes court pending transfer to the UN tribunal.
The "Daily Telegraph" reported that the former general of the Bosnian Serb army Ratko Mladic gave away the whereabouts of Karadžić in order to avoid prosecution from the Hague. It also reported that Mladic, with the help of his people, is talking about giving himself up.
A statement issued by the office of President Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
said: "Radovan Karadžić was located and arrested tonight [and] was brought to the investigative judge of the War Crimes Court in Belgrade, in accordance with the law on cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia." Serbian security forces were credited with having located and captured Karadžić, without any further details being given of the circumstances. Sources in the Serbian government told Reuters news agency he had been under surveillance for several weeks, following a tip-off from a foreign intelligence service. The arrest has been confirmed by the ICTY.
Karadžić was transferred to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
into ICTY
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
custody on 30 July. He was detained in a jail cell Wednesday that Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
used. The jail is in a separate wing of a Dutch prison near the seaside resort of Scheveningen. Until conviction, he will remain in the center, which has 84 cells, and locked up with 37 other detainees from the 1990 Balkan wars. Each cell (5.1 meters by 3 meters - 17 by 10 feet), has a shower, toilet, wash basin and desk. Inmates enjoy computers (without Internet access), television channels, and have arts, languages or sciences courses. Gym, outdoor courtyard, library, recreation room for darts, table tennis and board games are shared. After conviction, however, they would serve sentences in countries that volunteered to imprison them. Karadzic will appear before Judge Alphons Orie Thursday, in the tribunal, which has sentenced 56 accused since 1993.
Europe
Austria - Foreign Minister Ursula PlassnikUrsula PlassnikUrsula Plassnik is an Austrian diplomat and politician. She was Foreign Minister of Austria between October 2004 and December 2008.-Early life and career:...
said that "The arrest of Karadzic is an important moment in our persistent fight against impunity. Impunity has no place in the new Europe".
Belgium - Foreign Minister Karel De GuchtKarel De GuchtKarel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht is a Belgian politician who has been the European Commissioner for Trade since 2010...
said "I'm very pleased because I think this is a great day for international criminal justice, and also for the victims, who have had to wait for more than 10 years before justice is done".
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Miroslav LajčákMiroslav LajcákDr. Miroslav Lajčák is a Slovak diplomat.Lajčák is a law graduate from the Comenius University in Bratislava. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the State Institute of International Relations in Moscow and is also a graduate of the George C...
, the High Representative of the International Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina said "It is definitely good news for Bosnia and Herzegovina and this was visible from the reaction of ordinary citizens. Here in Sarajevo, people were happily celebrating. It is great news and a great satisfaction for them and it really proved that justice can be served and no one is above the law". - President Haris SilajdžićHaris SilajdžicHaris Silajdžić is a Bosnian politician and academic. In the 2006 elections, Silajdžić was elected as the Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for four years in the rotating presidency.He was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia.- Political career:From 1990...
states that "this will have a positive effect on Bosnia. We need this catharsis, we need people to know there is justice". - Prime Minister of Republika SrpskaRepublika SrpskaRepublika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Milorad DodikMilorad DodikMilorad Dodik , is the President of Republika Srpska, and the president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats political party. He graduated from the Belgrade University of Political Sciences .-Political career:...
said that "We welcome the arrest of Radovan Karadžić. It is important that he faces justice so that the stigma is lifted from the Serbs who have been hostages of his responsibility". - Mladen Bosić, president of the Serbian Democratic Party founded by Karadžić, visited the former leader in prison, and he had this to say afterwards: "I can tell you that I was surprised in how good shape and condition is Doctor Karadzic, he is mentally perfectly well, and actually he's spreading positive energy around him". He stated that "the Hague tribunal is not a place where justice is being served".
- On the night of Karadžić’s arrest, many people went on the streets of SarajevoSarajevoSarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
carrying the 1992–98 Bosnian flags, with fleur-de-lys-shield to celebrate the arrest of the first president of Republika Srpska.
- Miroslav Lajčák
Kingdom of Bulgaria - Foreign Ministry Spokesman Dimiter Tsochev said in a statement that "the arrest of the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic as a clear signal for the new Serbian government's resolve for efficient cooperation with the international community. For Bulgaria, this is an important step towards the security in the region bringing neighboring Serbia closer to the European Union. The Balkans took a breath after an 11-year nightmare, and Serbia and Bosnia are revived for a new European life".
Independent State of Croatia - Milorad Pupovac, representative of the Serb national minority in CroatiaSerbs of CroatiaVišeslav of Serbia, a contemporary of Charlemagne , ruled the Županias of Neretva, Tara, Piva, Lim, his ancestral lands. According to the Royal Frankish Annals , Duke of Pannonia Ljudevit Posavski fled, during the Frankish invasion, from his seat in Sisak to the Serbs in western Bosnia, who...
, said that the arrest of Radovan Karadžić after a 13-year search, marks a victory for justice and the punishment of those who committed crimes through such policy and action used by Radovan Karadžić. "This is a matter of fulfilment of justice, of peace making and of opening space to a new polity, including Europe’s policy, but also a new policy among the peoples in Bosnia and the people in the area of Yugoslavia", said Pupovac. He then wanted to congratulate Serbian President Tadić and his collaborators over Karadžić’s capture.
Czech Republic - Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr VondraAlexandr VondraAlexandr "Saša" Vondra is a Czech politician, who currently serves as the Senator from Litoměřice and the nation's Minister of Defence. He is also a Deputy Chairman of the Civic Democratic Party...
stated that "A criminal is finally where he belongs, he is arrested... I think this is considerably pushing the Serbian perspectives towards the European Union".
Denmark - Foreign Minister Per Stig MøllerPer Stig MøllerPer Stig Møller was Culture Minister of Denmark. He has been a member of Folketinget for the Conservative People's Party since 1984, and was Minister for the Environment from December 18, 1990 to January 24, 1993 as part of the Cabinet of Poul Schlüter IV and Foreign Minister from November 27,...
stated that Serbia's new government is showing its willingness to cooperate with the international community by arresting Radovan Karadžić and called the arrest "very good news".
Finland - Foreign Minister Alexander StubbAlexander StubbCai-Göran Alexander Stubb is a Finnish politician and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 4 April 2008 to 22 June 2011...
said that "The arrest of Radovan Karadžić is a positive sign of the new Serbian government's ability to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia".
Early Modern France
- President Nicolas SarkozyNicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
said that "The long awaited arrest, shows a clear willingness of the new government in Belgrade to bring Serbia to the European Union, contributing to peace and stability of the Balkan". - Jean-Maurice Ripert, Ambassador to the UN, told reporters that the arrest of Karadžić on genocide charges was "very positive for both the doctrine and generalization of the fight against impunity through international criminal tribunals. We admire the courage and determination of the Serbian government".
- President Nicolas Sarkozy
Germany
- Chancellor Angela MerkelAngela MerkelAngela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
welcomed the arrest of Karadžić, calling it "good news for the entire Balkans. This is a historic moment". - Federal Foreign Minister Dr Frank-Walter SteinmeierFrank-Walter SteinmeierFrank-Walter Steinmeier is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , and currently the leader of the opposition in the Bundestag. Steinmeier was a close aide of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, serving as Chief of Staff in the German Chancellery from 1999 to 2005...
made the following statement on the arrest: "The Federal Government is pleased and relieved that, after many years, Radovan Karadzic has now at last been arrested. This arrest is a milestone in relations between Serbia and the European Union".
- Chancellor Angela Merkel
Greece
- Foreign minister Dora BakoyannisDora BakoyannisDora Bakoyannis , born Theodora Mitsotaki , is a Greek politician. From 2006 to 2009 she was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, the highest position ever held by a woman in the Cabinet of Greece; she was also Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in...
(of the New Democracy party) said that "This, in our view, is particularly positive. Greece, as you know, supports this course of Serbia with all its strength". - George Papaconstantinou (party spokesman of the PasokPanhellenic Socialist MovementThe Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
party) said that, "The arrest of Karadzic constitutes an important step in Serbia's course towards the European Union and is a message of the will of Serbia's new government to advance in its European course". Although the PASOK government was at the time responsible for aiding the Serbs, and in particular the government of Milosevic, the spokesman referred to the "contribution" of PASOK and, especially George Papandreou, with "the formation of this new [pro-Western] government of Serbia and for this country to turn a page". - The LaosPopular Orthodox RallyThe Popular Orthodox Rally or The People's Orthodox Rally , often abbreviated to ΛΑ.Ο.Σ as a pun on the Greek word for people, is a Greek party. According to its political program LA.O.S...
party issued an official press release which stated: "The arrest [...] of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic [...] shows everyone the methods that the New [World] Order uses in order to bend the resistance of nations, peoples, and personalities that do not submit". - Hrysi Avgi denounced Karadzic's arrest and, in particular, the Democratic Party-Socialist Party of Serbia coalition: "The party founded by Milosevic himself, who was murdered by the international court of the Hague, refused to cooperate with the Nationalists and supported Tadic's so-called pro-European government. The first remarkable action of this coalition was the arrest of the Serbian national leader Karadzic by the [vultures] of globalization". Golden Dawn further states that, "It is certain that Karadzic will stand tall and proud against global tyranny [...]".
- Foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis
Republic of Ireland - Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál MartinMicheál MartinMicheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...
T.D. said "I welcome the arrest last night of the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić, who was indicted in July 1995 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. His apprehension after 13 years as a fugitive from international justice makes clear that there can be no ultimate impunity for those who stand accused of heinous crimes. I congratulate President Tadic and the Serbian security forces on the success of this operation. For the peoples of Bosnia and Serbia, the arrest of Karadžić marks an important step in their struggle to deal with the terrible legacy of the Balkan conflict of the 1990s. It also underlines the commitment of the Government and people of Serbia to draw a line under the tragic past and move toward a secure and stable future in Europe. I urge the Government of Serbia to build on this success and continue its efforts to finalise full cooperation with ICTY, which remains an essential condition for fulfilment of the country's European perspective".
Italy
- President Giorgio NapolitanoGiorgio NapolitanoGiorgio Napolitano is an Italian politician who has been the 11th President of Italy since 2006. A long-time member of the Italian Communist Party and later the Democrats of the Left, he served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 1994 and as Minister of the Interior from 1996 to...
sent a message to Boris Tadić in which he congratulated him for "an undertaking by the new government in Belgrade to contribute to peace and stability in the Balkans and in particular to cooperate with the International Criminal Court. I believe that the path taken represents a further rapprochement of Serbia to the European Union and I hope that Serbia can achieve in this sense the awards desired". - Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that "It's a great result that demonstrates how the process of bringing Serbia closer to EU accession must continue at pace." Frattini said Karadžić's arrest meant "the entire international community can breathe a sigh of relief" and that Italy would "do its part" to work towards the "immediate" ratification of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Serbia and the European Union "I think the next step will be to consider Serbia for entrance into the EU".
- President Giorgio Napolitano
Republic of Macedonia - Government spokesman Ivica Bocevski has said that "This shows that the time has come to leave the tragic Balkan decade of the 1990s to the historians. The countries from the region should focus towards the common European future for the Balkans as a whole".
Kingdom of Montenegro - Prime Minister Milo Đukanović said "This is very good. I believe that a real significant step towards the final finalization of the previous chapter of wars in the former Yugoslavia is made in this way by determining the responsibility for allegedly committed war crimes".
Netherlands - Prime Minister Jan Peter BalkenendeJan Peter BalkenendeJan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
said that "The Netherlands is ‘extremely satisfied’ that Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadžić has been arrested".
Norway - Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr StøreJonas Gahr StøreJonas Gahr Støre is the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, having been appointed to Jens Stoltenberg's second cabinet on 17 October 2005. He represents the Norwegian Labour Party.-Personal life:...
commented "I am pleased that Radovan Karadzic has now been arrested. I expect the Serbian authorities to extradite him to The Hague so that he can be called to account for the acts for which he has been indicted. His arrest is important for the victims of the crimes, and it will contribute to healing the wounds from the war in the Balkans. The arrest of Karadzic helps to remove a significant obstacle on Serbia’s path to full participation in European cooperation, and it represents a major step towards normalising Serbia’s relations with the international community. In my dealings with Serbia’s President and Minister of Foreign Affairs I have always stressed the importance of cooperating with the ICTY. I have taken this matter up with Serbia’s President and Minister of Foreign Affairs on a number of occasions, and it has always been quite clear that they have shared this view".
Poland - Foreign Ministry communiqué read by the Press Spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said that "Karadžić’s arrest shall pave the way for a stabilisation in the Western Balkans and constitutes a step forward in the process of uniting the nations of the former Yugoslavia. The readiness of the new Serbian authorities to ensure full cooperation with the Tribunal also testifies to this, which should have a positive influence on bringing forward Serbia’s European prospects".
Portugal - Foreign Minister Luís AmadoLuís AmadoLuís Filipe Marques Amado was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal in the government led by the Socialist Party. Before replacing Diogo Freitas do Amaral as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 30 June 2006, Amado was the Minister of Defence...
said that the arrest of Karadžić "shows the commitment of the new government in Serbia towards the European Union".
Kingdom of Romania - Foreign minister, Lazăr ComănescuLazar ComanescuLazăr Comănescu is a Romanian diplomat. He was the Foreign Minister of Romania from April 15, 2008 until December 22, 2008.-External links:* * from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania...
said that "The arrest of Radovan Karadžić is a strong argument which demonstrates the availability of Serbia to cooperate with the International Tribunal in The Hague".
Russia
- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "Serbia’s authorities fulfilled their obligations to the tribunal. The main thing is that the process should proceed objectively and those elements of politicisation that had been demonstrated in the tribunal’s previous activities should not be shown".
- Andrei Nesterenko, Russian foreign ministry official, states that "The arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, indicted by the ICTY, is exclusively an internal matter of Serbia. It was carried out by way of Belgrade’s implementation of its obligations to the Tribunal. We hope that the investigation and trial in the case of Radovan Karadzic will bear an impartial character. We pay special attention to this point, since the ICTY has demonstrated an often biased approach. Well known are the cases of acquittal and release of a number of Bosniaks and Kosovo Albanians, Ramus Haradinai most notably, whose involvement in war crimes is beyond doubt. We also reiterate the need to speed up moves to wrap up the activities of the ICTY and hand over all unsolved cases to the investigative and judicial bodies of countries of the former Yugoslavia, now fully mature and capable of independently sorting things out and rendering a verdict on war crimes".
- Russia's permanent representative in NATO Dmitry RogozinDmitry RogozinDmitry Olegovich Rogozin is a well-known Russian diplomat and popular politician, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia. In January, 2008, he became Russia's ambassador to NATO. He was a leader of the Rodina party until it merged with other similar Russian parties to form the...
has said that "If the Karadžić case deserves to be considered in the Hague, then those people who took the decision to bomb innocent civilians, who were dying by the hundred during the 'democratization' of the Balkans by the West, should be sitting in the dock next to him". - Speaker of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs A. Nesterenko after the verdict, by which the Bosnian Muslim leader Naser OrićNaser OricNaser Orić is a former Bosniak military officer who commanded the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina forces in the Srebrenica enclave in Eastern Bosnia surrounded by Serb forces, during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.In 2006, he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment by...
has been acquitted, "it is necessary to launch a procedure which would fulfill the strategy of closing the Hague Tribunal and the rendering of all unfinished cases to the judicial authorities of the countries of Former Yugoslavia which are nowadays completely mature". The Russian side is accusing the Tribunal of lacking in impartiality. - Oleg Morozov, member of the Russian State Duma, has said that Radovan Karadžić could share the destiny of Milošević in the tribunal, who had perished in obscure circumstances.
- First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Union of Communist Parties - Communist Party of the Soviet Union Gennady ZyuganovGennady ZyuganovGennady Andreyevich Zyuganov is a Russian politician, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation , Chairman of the Union of Communist Parties - Communist Party of the Soviet Union , deputy of the State Duma , and a member of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe...
, stated the "Russian Communist Party categorically condemns the actions taken by the Serb authorities, which, giving in to the blackmail of the West, intend to extradite Karadžić to the biased court in The Hague. A number of Western countries "have used all forms of political, economic and media pressure on the Serb authorities on this matter [and] the pro-Western government of Serbia has taken this unseemly step. The possible extradition of Karadžić to the ICTY (the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) is a desecration of the idea of international justice. Hague tribunal has turned into a punitive body, which is carrying out reprisal against the Serbs. This is confirmed by the death of former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic in a ICTY prison, and also the deaths of two other Serb leaders, who died in ICTY prisons or during arrests. The same is indicated by the years-long imprisonment of Vojislav Sheshel in an ICTY prison. Karadžić's arrest is especially outrageous with the background of the rulings issued in the cases involving Croatian and Albanian criminals responsible for the gruesome killings of civilians, ethnic cleansing, and the destruction of Yugoslavia, who have been cleared by the ICTY. This leads us to believe that Karadžić's arrest is aimed at creating a pretext for the resumption of the operation of this illegitimate body, which costs up a quarter of a billion dollars each year to maintain". - The previous Serbian ambassador to the Russian Federation Borislav Milošević, the former president's brother, who is now being treated in hospital, described Karadžić as a national hero for the majority of the Serbian people and reprehended the Hague Tribunal as an "anti-Serbian institution, accomplishing diverse purposes. Its pressure does not cease. And this Tribunal has to be finally closed. It is hitherto a lever for influence over Belgrade, and in particular over our people".
Serbia
- Prime Minister Mirko CvetkovićMirko CvetkovicMirko Cvetković is a Serbian economist and the Prime Minister of Serbia as well as the Minister of Finance.-Biography:...
has called on the remaining Hague fugitives to surrender voluntarily. - President Boris TadićBoris TadicBoris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
said that the locating and arresting of the Hague indictee was a result of commitment of the new authorities' observing international law, laws of Serbia and the fact that the individual responsibility for crimes committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia had to be determined. The president's press service said the Tribunal "must hold impartial trials of war crimes indictees regardless of their names, family names, nationality or religious affiliation". - On 22 July, Foreign Minister Vuk JeremićVuk JeremicVuk Jeremić is a Serbian politician and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Serbia. He was sworn in on May 15, 2007 and reelected on July 7, 2008.-Education:Jeremić was born in Belgrade in 1975 to Miško Jeremić and Sena Buljubašić...
said the arrest was proof that Serbia is "serious when it comes to her European fate". - Defense Minister Dragan ŠutanovacDragan ŠutanovacDragan Šutanovac is the current Minister of Defence in the Government of Serbia.- Background :...
stated "With the arrest of Karadžić, we have jumped over a big hurdle on the pathway toward European integrations. No-one can doubt any more that the government will uncompromisingly resolve the inherited problems". - National Assembly Speaker Slavica Đukić Dejanović commented that the procedure was "difficult", but that "international and domestic law must be respected".
- The general secretary of the opposition Radical PartySerbian Radical PartyThe Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
Aleksandar VučićAleksandar VucicAleksandar Vučić is a Serbian politician, Deputy President of the Serbian Progressive Party. He is a former secretary-general of the Serbian Radical Party and was President of the Serbian Radical Party's city parliamentary club before joining the Serbian Progressive Party. Besides Serbian,...
declared the arrest "horrendous news for Serbia" and that "Karadzic is a Serbian hero. There will be a strong backlash". The deputy chairman of the Radical Party Tomislav NikolićTomislav NikolicTomislav "Toma" Nikolić is a Serbian politician, President of the Serbian Progressive Party. He is also a former member of the Serbian Radical Party, where he served as Deputy Leader of the party and parliamentary leader during the absence of Vojislav Šešelj...
has called the day of the arrest "an onerous day" for Serbia and has promised the use of all democratic means in order to "purge" the power in Serbia till the end of this year. He is predicting a severe divine castigation for the instigators of Karadžić' confinement. Moreover, according to Nikolić, "Karadžić had sacrificed himself for the people in Republika SrpskaRepublika SrpskaRepublika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, but he had fallen victim to Serbia and the regime of Boris Tadić". The Radical Party has announced a mass demonstration in support of Karadžić which took place on 29 July. About ten thousand people appeared, mostly football fans and protests ended early followed with violent attacks on police and shop looting. - Vojislav KoštunicaVojislav KoštunicaVojislav Koštunica is a Serbian politician, statesman and the president of the Democratic Party of Serbia. He was the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević and serving from 2000 to 2003...
, the former Prime Minister and current leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)Democratic Party of SerbiaThe Democratic Party of Serbia is a political party in Serbia.-Foundation:The Democratic Party of Serbia was founded when a faction of the Democratic Party that supported its involvement in the Democratic Movement of Serbia split from the party and formed their own in 1992.Soon after the March...
, said: "The DSS has warned on two occasions recently that because of the acquittals of HaradinajRamush HaradinajRamush Haradinaj is a former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army and former prime minister of Kosovo. He leads the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and is among former KLA officers charged of war crimes during the 1999 Kosovo War by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia...
and OrićNaser OricNaser Orić is a former Bosniak military officer who commanded the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina forces in the Srebrenica enclave in Eastern Bosnia surrounded by Serb forces, during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.In 2006, he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment by...
, Serbia needs to open the issue of whether the Tribunal has the legitimacy to justly try war crimes suspects". The DSS will participate in a Radical Party-led demonstration in support of Karadžić scheduled for 29 July. - Leader of the Alliance of Vojvodina HungariansAlliance of Vojvodina HungariansThe Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians ; , Savez vojvođanskih Mađara ) is an ethnic Hungarian political party in the Serbian province of Vojvodina. Its chairman is István Pásztor. The former party chairman József Kasza is now its honorary president...
, István PásztorIstván PásztorIstván Pásztor is an ethnic Hungarian politician in Serbia. He graduated from the University of Novi Sad...
welcomed the arrest by saying "This is a big step for Serbia in terms of its obligations to The Hague war crimes tribunal". - Liberal Democratic Party welcomed the arrest in a statement saying that it is "the only way to discover the full truth and face the crimes committed in the name of the citizens of Serbia".
- Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković
Slovakia
- Prime Minister Robert FicoRobert FicoRobert Fico served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from July 4, 2006 to July 8, 2010.He is the leader of the left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy . The party won the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
said "It is very good that investigations into all war crimes are taking place. Everybody who is responsible for brutal treatment and murder will be prosecuted and eventually convicted. I think we need to see whether someone was responsible for the deaths of so many civilians in Serbia during the bombing. That’s my view". - Foreign Affairs Ministry welcomed the arrest and praised "this success of the Serbian authorities, viewing it as proof that the new Serbian Government is intensively and without compromise seeking to meet the goals required for speeding up its European integration process. Slovakia will continue to support Serbia on its way to the European Union" said the ministry.
- Prime Minister Robert Fico
Slovenia - Prime Minister Janez JanšaJanez JanšaJanez Janša is a Slovenian politician who was Prime Minister of Slovenia from November 2004 to November 2008. He has also been President of the Slovenian Democratic Party since 1993...
released a statement saying "The long expected arrest, which needs to be followed by a just trial in the Hague, is an important step towards closing the final chapter of the tragic recent history of the Western Balkans".
Spain - Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel MoratinosMiguel Ángel MoratinosMiguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé is a Spanish diplomat and politician, a member of the Socialist Workers' Party and member of Congress where he represents Córdoba....
described the news on the arrest as "very good" because it returned the "feeling" that Serbia "has commitments with the principles and values of the European Union" and demonstrated the "courage of its authorities".
Sweden - Foreign Minister Carl BildtCarl Bildt, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
said "the arrest of Karadžić was a major, if long overdue victory for international justice. This is late, late, late, but good, good, good".
Turkey - Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying "the trial of Karadžić will ease the pains which occurred in the Former Yugoslavia and which were one of the most terrible incidents of the 20th century. This trial will also demonstrate that the perpetrators of such tragedies can not escape from the justice. This historical step that the newly established Serbian Government has taken is a milestone in the integration of Serbia with the European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. This step proves that the new Serbian Government is in genuine cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. It will also consolidate the stability in the Balkans and develop further the friendly relations among the countries and the peoples of the region. Turkey hopes that the remaining war criminals, Ratko Mladic in the first place, will be brought to the Justice and this will contribute to healing of the wounds".
United Kingdom - Foreign Secretary David MilibandDavid MilibandDavid Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
said that "Today is the day to congratulate the Serbian government, a day to say 'Well done' and to look forward to the next steps of co-operation with the Tribunal in the Hague".
North America
Canada - Minister of Foreign Affairs, David EmersonDavid EmersonDavid Lee Emerson, PC, OBC is a Canadian politician, businessman and civil servant.Emerson is a former Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Paul Martin...
, welcomed the arrest by saying "The Government of Serbia is to be congratulated for this arrest".
United States
- Statement from the White House, signed by Press Secretary Dana PerinoDana PerinoDana Maria Perino is an American political commentator for Fox News. She served as the White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush from September 14, 2007 to January 20, 2009...
said that "This operation is an important indicator of the Serbian authorities’ determination to keep their promise on cooperation with the Hague Tribunal". - Secretary of State Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
has praised the arrest of Karadžić and said she hopes his former military chief Ratko MladićRatko MladićRatko Mladić is an accused war criminal and a former Bosnian Serb military leader. On May 31, 2011, Mladić was extradited to The Hague, where he was processed at the detention center that holds suspects for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia...
is captured next.
- Statement from the White House, signed by Press Secretary Dana Perino
Asia
Iran - Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said that the "Arrest of the war criminal, whose hands are stained with blood of thousands of innocent people, after 12 years marks a historic and unforgettable moment as well as an important event which will satisfy majority of the Bosnian people and other world nations, especially Muslims, who have over the past 12 years been looking forward to his trial".
Oceania
Australia - Foreign Minister Stephen SmithStephen Smith (Australian politician)Stephen Francis Smith , is the Australian Minister for Defence. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993, representing the Division of Perth, Western Australia....
said "I certainly welcome the arrest. More particularly, I welcome the fact that the Serbian authorities have immediately handed him over to the war crimes process".
International organizations
European Union
- European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said that "This is a very positive development that will contribute to bringing justice and lasting reconciliation in the Western Balkans. It proves the determination of the new Serbian government to achieve full cooperation with the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal on the former Yugoslavia). It is also very important for Serbia's European aspirations".
- Foreign policy chief Javier SolanaJavier SolanaFrancisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, KOGF is a Spanish physicist and Socialist politician. After serving in the Spanish government under Felipe González and Secretary General of NATO , he was appointed the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary...
said "Karadžić's arrest would now help unblock a key EU-Serbia accord. We have to talk to the prosecutor of the international tribunal, but I am almost certain he is going to say there is full cooperation". - European Commissioner Olli RehnOlli RehnOlli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs. He had previously served as Commissioner for Enlargement...
said that the arrest was a "milestone" in Serbia’s cooperation with the Tribunal, and showed that Serbia was "very serious" when it came to cooperation.
United Nations - Secretary General Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moonBan Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
said it as "a historic moment for the victims who have waited 13 years, a decisive step toward ending impunity for those indicted for war crimes".
Organization of the Islamic Conference - OIC Secretary General, Ekmeleddin IhsanogluEkmeleddin IhsanogluEkmeleddin İhsanoğlu is a Turkish academic, diplomat and currently the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations...
said in statement "The arrest of Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadžić is an achievement to the Serbian authorities' credit".
NATO - NATO Secretary General stated "I welcome the news of Radovan Karadzic’s detention in Belgrade. I commend the Serbian authorities for this important act of cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia".
- ICTY - Serge BrammertzSerge BrammertzSerge Brammertz is a Belgian jurist, and the prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.Brammertz was deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court from 2002 to 2007...
, head prosecutor for the ICTY, stated that "This is a very important day for the victims who have waited for this arrest for over a decade. It is also an important day for international justice because it clearly demonstrates that nobody is beyond the reach of the law and that sooner or later all fugitives will be brought to justice."
The case before ICTY
Karadžić is facing charges on 11 counts for genocideGenocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, crimes against humanity and severe breaches of the Geneva Convention for his role in the 1992-1995 Bosnian war
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, especially for the Srebrenica massacre
Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing, during the Bosnian War, of more than 8,000 Bosniaks , mainly men and boys, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of...
of July 1995.
Consolidating two 1995 indictments into one single document, the current indictment against Karadžić (IT-95-5/18) was confirmed on 31 May 2000. Specifically, it includes one count of a grave breach of the Geneva conventions of 1949, three counts of violations of the laws or customs of war, two counts of genocide and five counts of crimes against humanity.
Karadžić announced he will represent himself during the trial. If convicted, his sentence could be the longest pronounced by the court, exceeding 40 years, which in practice amounts to a life sentence. Karadžić is expected to be tried before a three-judge panel in an open court with a tape-delayed feed; proceedings will be in English with Serbian translation. Judge Alphons Orie
Alphons Orie
Alphonsus Martinus Maria Orie better known as Alphons Orie is a Dutch former lawyer specialising in criminal law and is now one of the thirty-two judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.Orie spent seventeen years until 1997 on the bar, and then four...
(Netherlands) was designated to hold a first interview with Karadžić on 31 July, with the purpose of establishing whether he understands the charges leveled against him. Orie will also present a first opportunity to Karadžić to plead "guilty" or "not guilty" to each of the 11 counts. Karadžić will be free to delay his plea for 30 days, after which, "not guilty" will automatically be entered on his behalf in the absence of a "guilty" plea.
He claimed there is a conspiracy against him and refused to enter a plea, therefore the court entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf to all 11 charges. He dismissed the tribunal
Tribunal
A tribunal in the general sense is any person or institution with the authority to judge, adjudicate on, or determine claims or disputes—whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title....
chaired by Scottish judge Iain Bonomy, as a “court of NATO” disguised as a court of the international community. Karadzic insists on defending himself (as he is entitled to under the United Nations court's rules) while at the same time is setting up a team of advisers led by his Legal Advisor Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson (lawyer)
Peter Robinson is an American lawyer who has defended political and military leaders at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals...
of the United States. Judge Bonomy urged Karadžić to hire an attorney and set 20 January as a tentative date for a new status conference.
On 3 September 2010, judges warned that Karadžić's trial could take two years longer than expected and stretch into 2014 if prosecutors and Karadžić do not speed up the case.
Alleged Karadžić-Holbrooke deal
On 31 July 2008, a summary of the charges were read out in court. Karadžić delayed his plea until 29 August 2008, due to the fact that an amended indictment is being prepared. Karadžić said he will enter his plea to the charges on 29 August. During his first hearing, Karadžić stated that Madeleine AlbrightMadeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
along with Richard Holbrooke
Richard Holbrooke
Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker....
offered him a deal which would allow him not to get prosecuted for war crimes if he would disappear from public life and politics. According to Karadžić, Albright offered him to get out of the way and go to Russia, Greece, or Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and open a private clinic or to at least go to Bijeljina
Bijeljina
Bijeljina is a city and municipality in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city is the second largest in the Republika Srpska entity after Banja Luka and fifth largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is situated on the flat rich plains of Semberija...
. He also said that Holbrooke or Albright would like to see him disappear and expressed the fear for his life by saying "I do not know how long the arm of Mr Holbrooke or Mrs Albright is ... or whether that arm can reach me here". Richard Holbrooke refuted such claims, calling them lies in a Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
interview shortly after Karadzic's arrest, but Muhamed Sacirbey
Muhamed Sacirbey
Muhamed Sacirbey is a Bosnian American lawyer, businessman and diplomat. Sacirbey rose to prominence in the 1990s when Bosnia and Herzegovina appointed him to be its ambassador to the United Nations. Sacirbey also served briefly as the Bosnian foreign minister...
, Bosnian foreign minister at the time, said that a Karadžić-Holbrooke deal that was made in July 1996 was indeed in existence, and former Bosnian Serb foreign minister Aleksa Buha claimed that he witnessed the agreement which was made during the night between 18 and 19 July 1996. Claims of such a deal were also investigated by journalists before the capture and trial of Mr Karadzic.
After the allegations were broadcast internationally, the Serbian newspaper Blic
Blic
Blic is a tabloid daily newspaper in Serbia owned by Ringier AG group from Switzerland.Started in 1996, it has gone through a slight format change during the mid 2000s to include more in-depth coverage, but it is still, as its name aptly suggest, a paper devoted to quick, concise,...
claimed that Karadžić was under US protection in exchange for him keeping a low profile and not participating in politics, quoting a "US intelligence source" as saying that the protection ended in 2000 when the CIA intercepted a phone call of Karadžić in which it became apparent that Karadžić chaired a meeting of his old political party.
Greek newspaper Kathimerini
Kathimerini
I Kathimerini is a daily morning newspaper published in Athens. It is published in the Greek language, as well as in an abridged English-language edition. The English edition is sold separately in the United States and as a supplement to the International Herald Tribune in Greece and Cyprus. On 2...
wrote, on 6 August 2008, that according to a Serbian newspaper a former court official wrote a book in which it is claimed that the United States and other Western states had a deal with Karadžić, protected him from arrest, and a US diplomat told Karadzic that he could hide in a NATO base.
Motion to disqualify
In a 15 August 2008 letter to Fausto PocarFausto Pocar
Judge Fausto Pocar is an Italian jurist. He is professor of International Law at the University of Milan. From 1984 to 2000, he was elected member of the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations, serving as the committee's chairman from 1991 to 1992...
, president of The Hague tribunal, Karadžić moved to disqualify and replace presiding Dutch judge Alphons Orie, on the ground of "personal" interest and bias to convict him in order to reinforce and justify "draconian" sentences in his earlier ICTY cases against former Bosnian Serbs leaders: "There clearly cannot be any question of impartiality on his [Judge Orie's] part. He would now be keen on having that ruling "upheld and somehow validated, which could be achieved through, inter alia, partial and biased conduct of the case against me". Karadžić also asked the other judges of Orie's chamber replaced. Preliminary investigations of tribunal cases are conducted by a judge, but trials are heard by a panel of three. The tribunal has no juries.
The Hague tribunal president, Fausto Pocar, replaced the whole judge panel on 21 August 2008. The new presiding judge will be Patrick Lipton Robinson
Patrick Lipton Robinson
Patrick Lipton Robinson is the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, a position he was elected to in November 2008...
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Wiretaps
In 2009, the prosecution presented recorded calls and transcripts of Karadžić's political speeches. In one Karadžić is quoted as saying "Sarajevo will be a black cauldron where Muslims will die," and that "They will disappear, that people will disappear from the face of the earth." In another Karadžić is quoted as saying that "Europe will be told to go fuck itself and not come back till the job is finished."Tourist attraction tour
After Karadžić's arrest, the venues associated with his underground period as an anonymous physician are being transformed into a place for tourist activities - there is already a special itinerary for tourists from his former quarter where he had been dwelling for years via the shop where he had been purchasing bread and coffee and taking a lunch to the edifice of the court, from where he has been delivered to the Hague Tribunal. The itinerary is increasingly popular not only for the local inhabitants but for foreign tourists as well.See also
- Srebrenica massacreSrebrenica massacreThe Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing, during the Bosnian War, of more than 8,000 Bosniaks , mainly men and boys, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of...
- Bosnian Genocide Case
- List of indictees of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
- Manhunt (military)Manhunt (military)Manhunting is the deliberate identification, capturing, or killing of senior or otherwise important enemy combatants, classified as high-value targets, usually by special operations forces and intelligence organizations...
- The Hunt: Me and the War CriminalsThe Hunt: Me and the War CriminalsThe Hunt: Me and the War Criminals is a book written by Carla Del Ponte, published in April 2008. According to Del Ponte she received information saying about 300 non-Albanians were kidnapped and transferred to Albania in 1999 where their organs were extracted...
External links
ICTYDragan Dabic
- Archive of Karadžić's website PSY Help Energy
- D.D. Dabić as an alternative medicine doctor
- Articles by D. D. Dabić published at http://zdravzivot.com/
- Sve naše meditacije (May 2008)
- Životne funkcije regulišu više energije (June 2008)
