Radovan Karadžic
Encyclopedia
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 Muslim
s and Bosnian Croats
during the Siege of Sarajevo
, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre
.
Educated as a psychiatrist, he co-founded the Serbian Democratic Party in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was the first President of Republika Srpska from 1992 to 1996.
He was a fugitive from 1996 until July 2008 after having been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY). The indictment concluded there were reasonable grounds for believing he committed war crimes, including genocide
against Bosnian Muslim
and Bosnian Croat
civilians during the Bosnian War
(1992–95). While a fugitive he worked at a private clinic in Belgrade
specialising in alternative medicine
and psychology
under the alias Dr. Dragan David Dabić under the company name of “Human Quantum Energy”. 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.
He was arrested
in Belgrade on 21 July 2008 and brought before Belgrade’s War Crimes Court a few days later. He was extradited to the Netherlands, and is in the custody of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
.
in PR Montenegro, Yugoslavia, to a family hailing from the Drobnjaci
Serb clan
. His father, Vuko had been a member of the Chetniks
– the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
's government-in-exile during World War II. His father was imprisoned by the post-war communist regime for much of his son's childhood. Radovan Karadžić moved to Sarajevo
in 1960 to pursue his studies in psychiatry at the Sarajevo University
School of Medicine. He studied neurotic disorders and depression at Næstved Hospital in Denmark
in 1970, and during 1974 and 1975 he spent a year pursuing further medical training at Columbia University
in New York. After his return to Yugoslavia, he worked in the Koševo Hospital. He also became a poet and fell under the influence of the Serbia
n writer Dobrica Ćosić
, who encouraged him to go into politics. Karadžić flirted with Bosnia's Green Party. During his spell as an ecologist, he declared that "Bolshevism is bad, but nationalism is even worse."
suburb of Voždovac
. With his partner Momčilo Krajišnik
, then manager of a mining enterprise Energoinvest, he managed to get a loan from an agricultural-development fund and they used it to build themselves houses in Pale, a Serb-populated village above Sarajevo turned into a ski resort by the Communist establishment.
On 1 November 1984 the two were arrested for fraud and spent 11 months in detention before their friend Nikola Koljević
managed to bail them out. For lack of evidence, Karadžić was released and his trial was brought to a halt. The trial was revived and on 26 September 1985. Karadžić was sentenced to three years in prison for embezzlement
and fraud. As he had already spent over a year in detention, Karadžić did not serve the remaining sentence in prison.
, later the first president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and Jovan Rašković
, the Croatian Serb leader, he co-founded the Serbian Democratic Party in Bosnia and Herzegovina
in 1989. This aimed at gathering the Republic's Bosnian Serb
community and joining Croatian Serbs
in leading them in staying part of Yugoslavia in the event of secession by those two republics from the federation.
A separate Serb Assembly was founded on 24 October 1991, in order to exclusively represent the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The leading Serb political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Radovan Karadžić, organized the creation of "Serb autonomous provinces" (SAOs) within Bosnia and the establishment of an assembly to represent them. In November 1991, the Bosnian Serbs held a referendum
which resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of staying in a federal state with Serbia and Montenegro, as part of Yugoslavia. On 9 January 1992, the Bosnian Serb Assembly proclaimed the Republic of the Serb people of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Република српског народа Босне и Херцеговине / Republika srpskog naroda Bosne i Hercegovine). On 28 February 1992, the constitution of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted and declared that the state's territory included Serb autonomous regions, municipalities, and other Serbian ethnic entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it was declared to be a part of the federal Yugoslav state.
On 29 February and 1 March 1992 a referendum on the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Yugoslavia was held. Many Serbs boycotted the referendum while Bosniaks
and Croats
and pro-secession Serbs
turned out, and 64% of eligible voters voted 98% in favor of independence.
on about 13 May 1992 after the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
. At the time he assumed this position, his de jure
powers, as described in the constitution of the Bosnian Serb administration, included commanding the army of the Bosnian Serb administration
in times of war and peace, and having the authority to appoint, promote and discharge officers of the army.
Karadžić made three trips to the UN in New York in February and March 1993 for negotiations on the future of Bosnia. He also went to Moscow in 1994 for meetings with Russian officials on the Bosnian situation.
On Friday, 4 August 1995, with a massive Croatian military force poised to attack
the Serb-held Krajina
region in central Croatia, Karadžić announced he was removing General Ratko Mladić
from his commandant post and assuming personal command of the VRS himself. Karadžić blamed Mladić for the loss of two key Serb towns in western Bosnia that had recently fallen to the Croats
, and he used the loss of the towns as the excuse to announce his surprise command structure changes. General Mladić was demoted to an "adviser." Mladić refused to go quietly, claiming the support of both the Bosnian Serb military as well as the people. Karadžić countered by attempting to pull political rank as well as denouncing Mladić as a "madman," but Mladić's obvious popular support forced Karadžić to rescind his order on 11 August.
(ICTY) of personal and command responsibility
for numerous war crimes committed against non-Serbs, in his roles as Supreme Commander of the Bosnian Serb armed forces and President of the National Security Council of the Republika Srpska. He is accused by the same authority of being responsible for the deaths of more than 7500 Muslims. Under his direction and command, Bosnian Serb forces initiated the Siege of Sarajevo
. He is accused by the ICTY of ordering the Srebrenica massacre
in 1995, directing Bosnian Serb forces to "create an unbearable situation of total insecurity with no hope of further survival of life" in the UN safe area. In addition, he is accused by the ICTY of ordering that United Nations personnel be taken hostage in May–June 1995.
He was jointly indicted by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in 1995, along with General Ratko Mladić
. The indictment charges Karadžić on the basis of his individual criminal responsibility (Article 7(1) of the Statute) and superior criminal responsibility (Article 7(3) of the Statute) with:
The United States government offered a $5 million reward for his and Ratko Mladić
's arrests.
Count 1: Genocide.
– Municipalities: Bratunac
, Foča
, Ključ
, Kotor Varoš
, Prijedor
, Sanski Most
, Vlasenica
and Zvornik
.
Count 2: Genocide.
– Municipality: Srebrenica
.
Count 3: Persecutions on Political, Racial and Religious Grounds, a Crime Against Humanity.
– Municipalities: Banja Luka
, Bijeljina
, Bosanska Krupa
, Bosanski Novi, Bratunac
, Brčko
, Foča
, Hadžići
, Ilidža
, Kalinovik
, Ključ
, Kotor Varoš
, Novi Grad
, Novo Sarajevo
, Pale, Prijedor
, Rogatica
, Sanski Most
, Sokolac
, Trnovo
, Vlasenica
, Vogošća
, Zvornik
and Srebrenica
.
Count 4: Extermination, a Crime Against Humanity.
Count 5: Murder, a Crime Against Humanity.
Count 6: Murder, a Violation of the Laws or Customs of War.
Count 7: Deportation, a Crime Against Humanity.
Count 8: Inhumane Acts (forcible transfer), a Crime Against Humanity.
Count 9: Acts of Violence the Primary Purpose of which is to Spread Terror among the Civilian Population, a Violation of the Laws or Customs of War.
Count 10: Unlawful Attacks on Civilians, a Violation of the Laws or Customs of War.
Count 11: Taking of Hostages, a Violation of the Laws or Customs of War.
for a civil claim under the Alien Tort Act. The Courts ruled that Karadžić was properly served and the trial was allowed to proceed in United States District Court.
Some sources allege that he received protection from the United States as a consequence of the Dayton Agreement
. Holbrooke however has repeatedly denied that such a deal was ever made.
His supporters say he is no more guilty than any other war-time political leader. His ability to evade capture for over a decade made him a local hero among the Bosnian Serbs, despite an alleged deal with Richard Holbrooke
. During his time as fugitive he was helped by several people, including former CIA operative Bosko Radonjich
and in 2001, hundreds of supporters demonstrated in support of Karadžić in his home town. In March 2003, his mother Jovanka publicly urged him to surrender. British officials conceded military action was unlikely to be successful in bringing Karadžić and other suspects to trial, and that putting political pressure on Balkan
governments would be more likely to succeed.
In May 2004 the UN learned that: "the brother of a war crimes suspect allegedly in the process of providing information on Radovan Karadzic and his network to the ICTY, was mistakenly killed in a raid by the Republika Srpska police." and added that "It is being argued that the informer was targeted in order to silence him before he was able to say more."
In 2005, Bosnian Serb leaders called on Karadžić to surrender, stating that Bosnia and Serbia could not move ahead economically or politically while he remained at large. After a failed raid earlier in May, on 7 July 2005 NATO troops arrested Karadžić's son, Aleksandar (Saša) Karadžić but released him after 10 days. On 28 July, Karadžić's wife, Ljiljana Zelen Karadžić, made a call for him to surrender after, in her words, "enormous pressure" had been put onto her.
The BBC reported that Radovan Karadžić had been sighted in 2005 near Foča
: "38 km (24 miles) down the road, on the edge of the Sutjeska national park, Radovan Karadžić has just got out of a red Mercedes" and asserted that "Western intelligence agencies knew roughly where they were, but that there was no political will in London or Washington to risk the lives of British, or US agents, in a bid to seize" him and Mladić.
On 10 January 2008, the BBC reported that the passports of his closest relatives had been seized. On 21 February 2008, at the time Kosovo
declared independence, portraits of Radovan Karadžić were on display during Belgrade
’s "Kosovo is Serbia protest".
Karadžić gave lectures in front of hundreds of people on alternative medicine. He even had his own website, where he offered his assistance in the treatment of sexual problems and disorders by using what he called Human Quantum Energy. He also used the site for the sale of metallic bullet-shaped amulet
s. He advertised himself as one of the most prominent experts in the field of alternative medicine, bioenergy, and macrobiotic diet. Karadžić had been masquerading as an expert in "human quantum energy" using the fake name "D.D. David" printed on his business card. The initials apparently stood for Dragan David Dabić, the name officials said he went by.
, Austria where he lived under the name Petar Glumac posing as a Croatian seller of herbal solutions and ointments. Austrian police
talked to him during the 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. The police did not ask any further questions nor demanded to fingerprint him as he appeared calm and readily answered questions. Nevertheless, this claim has come into doubt ever since a man named Petar Glumac, an alternative medical practitioner from Novo Selo, Serbia, claims to have been the person the police talked with in Vienna. Glumac bears a striking resemblance to Karadžić's identity as Dragan Dabić. On the other hand 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.
. He was in hiding, posing as a doctor of alternative medicine mostly in Belgrade
but also in Vienna
, Austria. The reward money for his arrest was allegedly never claimed; however, it is rumored that Karadžić was arrested by locals who came to find out his identity and simply claimed the cash. This would explain how the Serbian government claims that its police (MUP) had nothing to do with the arrest. Karadžić was transferred into ICTY custody in the Hague on 30 July. Karadžić appeared before Judge Alphons Orie on 31 July, in the tribunal, which has sentenced 56 accused since 1993. During the first hearing Radovan Karadžić expressed a fear for his life by saying: "If Holbrooke
wants my death and regrets there is no death sentence at this court, I want to know if his arm is long enough to reach me here." and stated that the deal he made with Richard Holbrooke is the reason why it took 13 years for him to appear in front of the ICTY. He also made similar accusations against the former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright
. Muhamed Sacirbey
, Bosnian foreign minister at the time, claimed that a Karadžić-Holbrooke deal was made in July 1996.
In August 2008 Karadžić 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 called the tribunal
, chaired by Scottish judge Iain Bonomy, a "court of NATO" disguised as a court of the international community. On 13 October 2009, the BBC reported that Karadžić's plea to be granted immunity from his charges was denied. However, the start of his trial was moved to 26 October so he could prepare a defense.
On Monday 26 October 2009 Karadžić's trial was suspended after 15 minutes after he carried out his threat to boycott the start of the hearing. Judge O-Gon Kwon
said that in the absence of Karadžić, who was defending himself, or any lawyer representing him, he was suspending the case for 24 hours, when the prosecution would begin its opening statement. On 5 November 2009, the court forcibly imposed a lawyer on him, and postponed his trial until 1 March 2010.
On 26 November 2009, Karadžić filed a Motion challenging the legal validity and legitimacy of the tribunal, claiming that "the UN Security Council lacked the power to establish the ICTY, violated agreements under international law in so doing, and delegated non-existent legislative powers to the ICTY", to which the Prosecution response was that "The Appeals Chamber has already determined the validity of the Tribunal’s creation in previous decisions which constitute established precedent on this issue", dismissing therefore the Motion.
Poetry and alternative medicine
Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina are people of Serb ethnicity inhabiting the Balkan regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or, since the establishment of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state in the 1990s, the Serbs who have its citizenship. The Serbs are one of the three constitutive nations of this...
politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslim
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
s and Bosnian Croats
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina form one of the three constitutive nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.There is no precise data regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina's population since the last war. Ethnic cleansing within Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s saw the vast majority of Croats move and take...
during the Siege of Sarajevo
Siege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia...
, as well as ordering 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...
.
Educated as a psychiatrist, he co-founded the Serbian Democratic Party in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was the first President of Republika Srpska from 1992 to 1996.
He was a fugitive from 1996 until July 2008 after having been indicted for war crimes by 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...
(ICTY). The indictment concluded there were reasonable grounds for believing he committed war crimes, including genocide
Genocide
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...
against Bosnian Muslim
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
and Bosnian Croat
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina form one of the three constitutive nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.There is no precise data regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina's population since the last war. Ethnic cleansing within Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s saw the vast majority of Croats move and take...
civilians during the 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...
(1992–95). While a fugitive he worked at a private clinic 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...
specialising in 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....
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
under the alias Dr. Dragan David Dabić under the company name of “Human Quantum Energy”. 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.
He was arrested
Arrest of Radovan Karadžic
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....
in Belgrade on 21 July 2008 and brought before Belgrade’s War Crimes Court a few days later. He was extradited to the Netherlands, and is in the custody of 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...
.
Early life
Radovan Karadžić was born in Petnjica near ŠavnikŠavnik
Šavnik is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 570 .Šavnik is the centre of the municipality and unofficial centre of Drobnjaci region, home of the Drobnjaci tribe....
in PR Montenegro, Yugoslavia, to a family hailing from the Drobnjaci
Drobnjaci
Drobnjaci is an Old Herzegovinian clan and region in northern Montenegro . Its unofficial centre is in Boan/Šavnik. The Drobnjaci families are predominantly Serb Orthodox, with a majority declaring as Serbs, the rest as Montenegrins...
Serb clan
Serb clans
Serb clans is a general term referring to what are known as plemena and bratstva , traditional geo-political units of the Western Balkans that now richly attest social anthropology and family history . The descendants of the clans are divided by regional and lately, national affiliation...
. His father, Vuko had been a member of the Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
– the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
's government-in-exile during World War II. His father was imprisoned by the post-war communist regime for much of his son's childhood. Radovan Karadžić moved to Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
in 1960 to pursue his studies in psychiatry at the Sarajevo University
University of Sarajevo
The University of Sarajevo is the first university in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was originally established in 1531 as a Madrasah or Islamic Law college, with a modern university being established and expanded on top of that in 1949. Today, with 23 faculties and around 55,000 enrolled students, it...
School of Medicine. He studied neurotic disorders and depression at Næstved Hospital in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1970, and during 1974 and 1975 he spent a year pursuing further medical training at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York. After his return to Yugoslavia, he worked in the Koševo Hospital. He also became a poet and fell under the influence of the 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...
n writer Dobrica Ćosić
Dobrica Cosic
Dobrica Ćosić is a Serbian writer, as well as a political and Serb nationalist theorist. He was the first president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1993...
, who encouraged him to go into politics. Karadžić flirted with Bosnia's Green Party. During his spell as an ecologist, he declared that "Bolshevism is bad, but nationalism is even worse."
Financial crimes
Soon after graduation, Karadžić started working in a treatment centre at the psychiatric clinic of the main Sarajevo hospital, Koševo. According to testimony, he often supplemented his income by issuing fake medical and psychological evaluations to healthcare workers who wanted early retirement or to criminals who tried to avoid punishment by pleading insanity. In 1983, Karadžić started working at a hospital in the BelgradeBelgrade
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...
suburb of Voždovac
Voždovac
Voždovac is an urban neighborhood and one of 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.- Location :...
. With his partner Momčilo Krajišnik
Momcilo Krajišnik
Momčilo Krajišnik is a Bosnian Serb former politician convicted of murder and other crimes against humanity during the Bosnian war .He co-founded the Bosnian Serb nationalist Serbian Democratic Party with Radovan...
, then manager of a mining enterprise Energoinvest, he managed to get a loan from an agricultural-development fund and they used it to build themselves houses in Pale, a Serb-populated village above Sarajevo turned into a ski resort by the Communist establishment.
On 1 November 1984 the two were arrested for fraud and spent 11 months in detention before their friend Nikola Koljević
Nikola Koljevic
Nikola Koljević was a Serbian politician, university professor, translator and an essayist, one of the foremost Yugoslavian Shakespeare scholars.Koljević was born to a distinguished merchant family...
managed to bail them out. For lack of evidence, Karadžić was released and his trial was brought to a halt. The trial was revived and on 26 September 1985. Karadžić was sentenced to three years in prison for embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
and fraud. As he had already spent over a year in detention, Karadžić did not serve the remaining sentence in prison.
Political life
Following encouragement from Dobrica ĆosićDobrica Cosic
Dobrica Ćosić is a Serbian writer, as well as a political and Serb nationalist theorist. He was the first president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1993...
, later the first president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and Jovan Rašković
Jovan Raškovic
Jovan Rašković was an ethnic Serbian psychiatrist and politician from Croatia....
, the Croatian Serb leader, he co-founded the Serbian Democratic Party in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
in 1989. This aimed at gathering the Republic's Bosnian Serb
Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina are people of Serb ethnicity inhabiting the Balkan regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or, since the establishment of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state in the 1990s, the Serbs who have its citizenship. The Serbs are one of the three constitutive nations of this...
community and joining Croatian Serbs
Serbs of Croatia
Višeslav 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...
in leading them in staying part of Yugoslavia in the event of secession by those two republics from the federation.
A separate Serb Assembly was founded on 24 October 1991, in order to exclusively represent the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The leading Serb political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Radovan Karadžić, organized the creation of "Serb autonomous provinces" (SAOs) within Bosnia and the establishment of an assembly to represent them. In November 1991, the Bosnian Serbs held a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
which resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of staying in a federal state with Serbia and Montenegro, as part of Yugoslavia. On 9 January 1992, the Bosnian Serb Assembly proclaimed the Republic of the Serb people of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Република српског народа Босне и Херцеговине / Republika srpskog naroda Bosne i Hercegovine). On 28 February 1992, the constitution of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted and declared that the state's territory included Serb autonomous regions, municipalities, and other Serbian ethnic entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it was declared to be a part of the federal Yugoslav state.
On 29 February and 1 March 1992 a referendum on the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Yugoslavia was held. Many Serbs boycotted the referendum while Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
and Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
and pro-secession Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
turned out, and 64% of eligible voters voted 98% in favor of independence.
President of Republika Srpska
On 6 April 1992, Bosnia was recognized by the UN as an independent state. , renamed Republika Srpska a few months later. Karadžić was voted President of this Bosnian Serb administration in PalePale (town)
Pale is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located southeast of Bosnia's capital Sarajevo. The municipality of Pale is one of the six municipalities of the City of Istočno Sarajevo located in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Middle Ages:The area of Pale...
on about 13 May 1992 after the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. At the time he assumed this position, his de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
powers, as described in the constitution of the Bosnian Serb administration, included commanding the army of the Bosnian Serb administration
Army of Republika Srpska
The Army of Republika Srpska ; Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian Vojska Republike Srpske ) also referred to as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of today's Republika Srpska which was then the "Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina", a self-proclaimed state within the internationally recognized...
in times of war and peace, and having the authority to appoint, promote and discharge officers of the army.
Karadžić made three trips to the UN in New York in February and March 1993 for negotiations on the future of Bosnia. He also went to Moscow in 1994 for meetings with Russian officials on the Bosnian situation.
On Friday, 4 August 1995, with a massive Croatian military force poised to attack
Operation Storm
Operation Storm is the code name given to a large-scale military operation carried out by Croatian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to gain back control of parts of Croatia which had been claimed by separatist ethnic Serbs, since early...
the Serb-held Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
region in central Croatia, Karadžić announced he was removing General Ratko Mladić
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...
from his commandant post and assuming personal command of the VRS himself. Karadžić blamed Mladić for the loss of two key Serb towns in western Bosnia that had recently fallen to the Croats
Operation Mistral
Operation Mistral were two linked military offensives of the Croatian Army, Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Croatian Defence Council launched in Western Bosnia and Herzegovina during September 1995 as part of the Croatian War of Independence and the Bosnian War...
, and he used the loss of the towns as the excuse to announce his surprise command structure changes. General Mladić was demoted to an "adviser." Mladić refused to go quietly, claiming the support of both the Bosnian Serb military as well as the people. Karadžić countered by attempting to pull political rank as well as denouncing Mladić as a "madman," but Mladić's obvious popular support forced Karadžić to rescind his order on 11 August.
War crimes charges
Karadžić is accused by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former YugoslaviaInternational 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...
(ICTY) of personal and command responsibility
Command responsibility
Command responsibility, sometimes referred to as the Yamashita standard or the Medina standard, and also known as superior responsibility, is the doctrine of hierarchical accountability in cases of war crimes....
for numerous war crimes committed against non-Serbs, in his roles as Supreme Commander of the Bosnian Serb armed forces and President of the National Security Council of the Republika Srpska. He is accused by the same authority of being responsible for the deaths of more than 7500 Muslims. Under his direction and command, Bosnian Serb forces initiated the Siege of Sarajevo
Siege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia...
. He is accused by the ICTY of ordering 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...
in 1995, directing Bosnian Serb forces to "create an unbearable situation of total insecurity with no hope of further survival of life" in the UN safe area. In addition, he is accused by the ICTY of ordering that United Nations personnel be taken hostage in May–June 1995.
He was jointly indicted by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in 1995, along with General Ratko Mladić
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...
. The indictment charges Karadžić on the basis of his individual criminal responsibility (Article 7(1) of the Statute) and superior criminal responsibility (Article 7(3) of the Statute) with:
- Five counts of crimes against humanity (Article 5 of the Statute – extermination, murder, persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds, persecutions, inhumane acts (forcible transfer));
- Three counts of violations of the laws of war (Article 3 of the Statute – murder, unlawfully inflicting terror upon civilians, taking hostages);
- One count of grave breaches of the Geneva ConventionsGeneva ConventionsThe Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
(Article 2 of the Statute – willful killing). - Unlawful transfer of civiliansPopulation transferPopulation transfer is the movement of a large group of people from one region to another by state policy or international authority, most frequently on the basis of ethnicity or religion...
because of religious or national identity.
The United States government offered a $5 million reward for his and Ratko Mladić
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...
's arrests.
Ongoing Bosnian Genocide Trial
Currently, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic are both on trial on two counts of genocide and other war crimes committed in Srebrenica, Prijedor, Kljuc, and other districts of Bosnia. Karadzic and Mladic are charged, separately, with:Count 1: Genocide.
– Municipalities: Bratunac
Bratunac
Bratunac is a town and municipality located in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The easternmost point of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the municipality of Bratunac which lies in the Republika Srpska.-1971:26.513 total...
, Foča
Foca
Foča is a town and municipality in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Drina river, in the Foča Region of the Republika Srpska entity.-Early history:...
, Ključ
Kljuc
Ključ is a town and municipality by the same name in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically the Una-Sana Canton. The name of the town and the municipality translates to "Key" in Bosnian....
, Kotor Varoš
Kotor Varoš
Kotor Varoš is a town and municipality in northwestern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:The city was first mentioned in the 10th century, when it was called Kotor. Varoš, added later, means "town" in Hungarian...
, Prijedor
Prijedor
Prijedor is a city and municipality in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Bosanska Krajina region....
, Sanski Most
Sanski Most
Sanski Most is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the Sana River in Bosanska Krajina, between Prijedor and Ključ. Administratively it is part of the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, Vlasenica
Vlasenica
Vlasenica is a municipality and town of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Administratively it is part of Vlasenica Region.-1912:...
and Zvornik
Zvornik
Zvornik is a city on the Drina river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town Mali Zvornik lies directly across the river in Serbia, and not far north is Loznica.-History:Zvornik is first mentioned in 1410, although it was...
.
Count 2: Genocide.
– Municipality: Srebrenica
Srebrenica
Srebrenica is a town and municipality in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska. Srebrenica is a small mountain town, its main industry being salt mining and a nearby spa. During the Bosnian War, the town was the site of the July 1995 massacre,...
.
Count 3: Persecutions on Political, Racial and Religious Grounds, a Crime Against Humanity.
– Municipalities: Banja Luka
Banja Luka
-History:The name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated February 6, 1494, but Banja Luka's history dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" in the centre of...
, 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...
, Bosanska Krupa
Bosanska Krupa
Bosanska Krupa is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the Una river. It is located northeast from Bihać...
, Bosanski Novi, Bratunac
Bratunac
Bratunac is a town and municipality located in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The easternmost point of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the municipality of Bratunac which lies in the Republika Srpska.-1971:26.513 total...
, Brčko
Brcko
Brčko can refer to the following related geographical locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina:* Brčko District* Brčko...
, Foča
Foca
Foča is a town and municipality in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Drina river, in the Foča Region of the Republika Srpska entity.-Early history:...
, Hadžići
Hadžici
Hadžići is a town and a municipality located south west of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to government statistics from 2002, Hadžići Municipality has a population of 20,055 residents.- 1971 :18,508 total...
, Ilidža
Ilidža
Ilidža is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a metro population of 157,654, making it the 7th largest city in the country. Ilidža is the chief suburb of Sarajevo. It is famous for the natural beauty of its surroundings and historical tradition dating back to...
, Kalinovik
Kalinovik
Kalinovik is a town and municipality in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Kalinovik is located about 40 kilometres south of Sarajevo, in the middle of one of the karstic landscapes characteristic of the region...
, Ključ
Kljuc
Ključ is a town and municipality by the same name in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically the Una-Sana Canton. The name of the town and the municipality translates to "Key" in Bosnian....
, Kotor Varoš
Kotor Varoš
Kotor Varoš is a town and municipality in northwestern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:The city was first mentioned in the 10th century, when it was called Kotor. Varoš, added later, means "town" in Hungarian...
, Novi Grad
Novi Grad
Novi Grad is a town and municipality in northern Republika Srpska entity, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town is situated on the Una river on the border with Croatia . Today, the municipality has a population of about 30,000 people with 8,500 households...
, Novo Sarajevo
Novo Sarajevo
Novo Sarajevo is a municipality in Sarajevo, and Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-1971:111,811 total* Serbs - 45,806 * Bosniaks - 37,147...
, Pale, Prijedor
Prijedor
Prijedor is a city and municipality in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Bosanska Krajina region....
, Rogatica
Rogatica
Rogatica is a municipality and town in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina located 60 kilometres northeast of Sarajevo; midway on the road from Goražde towards Sokolac...
, Sanski Most
Sanski Most
Sanski Most is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the Sana River in Bosanska Krajina, between Prijedor and Ključ. Administratively it is part of the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, Sokolac
Sokolac
Sokolac is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the part of the City of East Sarajevo in the Republika Srpska entity....
, Trnovo
Trnovo
Trnovo may refer to:*In Bosnia and Herzegovina:**Trnovo, Republika Srpska, a town and municipality**Trnovo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the rural part of the same pre-war municipality, presently in the Sarajevo Canton*In Bulgaria:...
, Vlasenica
Vlasenica
Vlasenica is a municipality and town of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Administratively it is part of Vlasenica Region.-1912:...
, Vogošća
Vogošca
Vogošća is a secondary suburb and municipality of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located about 6 kilometers north of the city center and covering some 72 km².-1971:According to 1971 population census there were 14.402 residents....
, Zvornik
Zvornik
Zvornik is a city on the Drina river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town Mali Zvornik lies directly across the river in Serbia, and not far north is Loznica.-History:Zvornik is first mentioned in 1410, although it was...
and Srebrenica
Srebrenica
Srebrenica is a town and municipality in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska. Srebrenica is a small mountain town, its main industry being salt mining and a nearby spa. During the Bosnian War, the town was the site of the July 1995 massacre,...
.
Count 4: Extermination, a Crime Against Humanity.
Count 5: Murder, a Crime Against Humanity.
Count 6: Murder, a Violation of the Laws or Customs of War.
Count 7: Deportation, a Crime Against Humanity.
Count 8: Inhumane Acts (forcible transfer), a Crime Against Humanity.
Count 9: Acts of Violence the Primary Purpose of which is to Spread Terror among the Civilian Population, a Violation of the Laws or Customs of War.
Count 10: Unlawful Attacks on Civilians, a Violation of the Laws or Customs of War.
Count 11: Taking of Hostages, a Violation of the Laws or Customs of War.
Fugitive
Authorities missed arresting Karadžić in 1995, when he was an invitee of the United Nations. During his visit to the United Nations in 1993, he was handed a service of processService of process
Service of process is the procedure employed to give legal notice to a person of a court or administrative body's exercise of its jurisdiction over that person so as to enable that person to respond to the proceeding before the court, body or other tribunal...
for a civil claim under the Alien Tort Act. The Courts ruled that Karadžić was properly served and the trial was allowed to proceed in United States District Court.
Some sources allege that he received protection from the United States as a consequence of the Dayton Agreement
Dayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...
. Holbrooke however has repeatedly denied that such a deal was ever made.
Richard Holbrooke
Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker....
. During his time as fugitive he was helped by several people, including former CIA operative Bosko Radonjich
Bosko Radonjich
Bosko "The Yugo" Radonjich was a Serbian nationalist and later leader of the Westies, a predominantly Irish-American gang based in New York's Hell's Kitchen.-Early life:...
and in 2001, hundreds of supporters demonstrated in support of Karadžić in his home town. In March 2003, his mother Jovanka publicly urged him to surrender. British officials conceded military action was unlikely to be successful in bringing Karadžić and other suspects to trial, and that putting political pressure on Balkan
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
governments would be more likely to succeed.
In May 2004 the UN learned that: "the brother of a war crimes suspect allegedly in the process of providing information on Radovan Karadzic and his network to the ICTY, was mistakenly killed in a raid by the Republika Srpska police." and added that "It is being argued that the informer was targeted in order to silence him before he was able to say more."
In 2005, Bosnian Serb leaders called on Karadžić to surrender, stating that Bosnia and Serbia could not move ahead economically or politically while he remained at large. After a failed raid earlier in May, on 7 July 2005 NATO troops arrested Karadžić's son, Aleksandar (Saša) Karadžić but released him after 10 days. On 28 July, Karadžić's wife, Ljiljana Zelen Karadžić, made a call for him to surrender after, in her words, "enormous pressure" had been put onto her.
The BBC reported that Radovan Karadžić had been sighted in 2005 near Foča
Foca
Foča is a town and municipality in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Drina river, in the Foča Region of the Republika Srpska entity.-Early history:...
: "38 km (24 miles) down the road, on the edge of the Sutjeska national park, Radovan Karadžić has just got out of a red Mercedes" and asserted that "Western intelligence agencies knew roughly where they were, but that there was no political will in London or Washington to risk the lives of British, or US agents, in a bid to seize" him and Mladić.
On 10 January 2008, the BBC reported that the passports of his closest relatives had been seized. On 21 February 2008, at the time Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
declared independence, portraits of Radovan Karadžić were on display during 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...
’s "Kosovo is Serbia protest".
Karadžić gave lectures in front of hundreds of people on alternative medicine. He even had his own website, where he offered his assistance in the treatment of sexual problems and disorders by using what he called Human Quantum Energy. He also used the site for the sale of metallic bullet-shaped amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s. He advertised himself as one of the most prominent experts in the field of alternative medicine, bioenergy, and macrobiotic diet. Karadžić had been masquerading as an expert in "human quantum energy" using the fake name "D.D. David" printed on his business card. The initials apparently stood for Dragan David Dabić, the name officials said he went by.
Capture evasion in Austria
There have been reports that 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. 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 the 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. The police did not ask any further questions nor demanded to fingerprint him as he appeared calm and readily answered questions. Nevertheless, this claim has come into doubt ever since a man named Petar Glumac, an alternative medical practitioner from Novo Selo, Serbia, claims to have been the person the police talked with in Vienna. Glumac bears a striking resemblance to Karadžić's identity as Dragan Dabić. On the other hand 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 trial
The arrest of Radovan Karadžić took place on 21 July 2008 in BelgradeBelgrade
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...
. He was in hiding, posing as a doctor of alternative medicine mostly 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...
but also in Vienna
Vienna
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. The reward money for his arrest was allegedly never claimed; however, it is rumored that Karadžić was arrested by locals who came to find out his identity and simply claimed the cash. This would explain how the Serbian government claims that its police (MUP) had nothing to do with the arrest. Karadžić was transferred into ICTY custody in the Hague on 30 July. Karadžić appeared before Judge Alphons Orie on 31 July, in the tribunal, which has sentenced 56 accused since 1993. During the first hearing Radovan Karadžić expressed a fear for his life by saying: "If Holbrooke
Richard Holbrooke
Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker....
wants my death and regrets there is no death sentence at this court, I want to know if his arm is long enough to reach me here." and stated that the deal he made with Richard Holbrooke is the reason why it took 13 years for him to appear in front of the ICTY. He also made similar accusations against the former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright
Madeleine 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...
. 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, claimed that a Karadžić-Holbrooke deal was made in July 1996.
In August 2008 Karadžić 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 called 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, a "court of NATO" disguised as a court of the international community. On 13 October 2009, the BBC reported that Karadžić's plea to be granted immunity from his charges was denied. However, the start of his trial was moved to 26 October so he could prepare a defense.
On Monday 26 October 2009 Karadžić's trial was suspended after 15 minutes after he carried out his threat to boycott the start of the hearing. Judge O-Gon Kwon
O-Gon Kwon
O-Gon Kwon is a noted Korean and international judge and is one of the three judges in the trial for Slobodan Milošević...
said that in the absence of Karadžić, who was defending himself, or any lawyer representing him, he was suspending the case for 24 hours, when the prosecution would begin its opening statement. On 5 November 2009, the court forcibly imposed a lawyer on him, and postponed his trial until 1 March 2010.
On 26 November 2009, Karadžić filed a Motion challenging the legal validity and legitimacy of the tribunal, claiming that "the UN Security Council lacked the power to establish the ICTY, violated agreements under international law in so doing, and delegated non-existent legislative powers to the ICTY", to which the Prosecution response was that "The Appeals Chamber has already determined the validity of the Tribunal’s creation in previous decisions which constitute established precedent on this issue", dismissing therefore the Motion.
Poetry
Radovan Karadžić has published poetry. Several of his books of poems were published while he was in hiding.- 1990: Crna bajka (Svjetlost, Sarajevo)
- 1992: Rat u Bosni: kako je počelo
- 1994: Ima čuda, nema čuda
- 2001: Od Ludog koplja do Crne bajke (Dobrica knjiga, Novi Sad)
- 2004: Čudesna hronika noći (IGAM, Belgrade)
- 2005: Pod levu sisu veka (Književna zajednica "Veljko Vidaković", Niš)
Quotes
"There is no doubt that the United States and Germany had their own interests in igniting wars in Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia"
- —Radovan Karadžić speaking in May 2011 during a magazine interview given from Scheveningen Prison, The Hague
"You want to take Bosnia and Herzegovina down the same highway to hell and suffering that SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
are travelling. Do not think that you will not lead Bosnia and Herzegovina into hell, and do not think that you will not perhaps lead the Muslim peopleBosniaksThe Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
into annihilation, because the Muslims cannot defend themselves if there is war – How will you prevent everyone from being killed in Bosnia and Herzegovina?"
- —Radovan Karadžić speaking at the Bosnian parliament, on the night of 14–15 October 1991, in a charged atmosphere in a debate whether to declare the republic "sovereign", which would mean that republic's laws would take precedence over Yugoslav ones.
Awards and medals
- Literary award Jovan DučićJovan DucicJovan Dučić was a Serbian poet born in Herzegovina, writer and diplomat.-Biography:...
for poetry, 1969 - Literary award Michail SholokhovMichail Aleksandrovich SholokhovMikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov was a Soviet/Russian novelist and winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Literature. An asteroid in main-belt is named after him, 2448 Sholokhov.-Life and work:...
in 1994, by the Union of Russian Writers. - Ordain of the Republika Srpska, 1994
External links
- (video) The World's Most Wanted Man by PBS Frontline, 26 May 1998
- ICTY indictment
- Interpol Warrant
- BBC, Profile
- C4:Radovan Karadzic: five films
- Hague Justice Portal: Radovan Karadžić
- The arrest of Karadzic: a step in Europe's direction, Opinion by Jacques Rupnik, July 2008, European Union Institute for Security StudiesEuropean Union Institute for Security StudiesThe European Union Institute for Security Studies is a Paris-based EU agency of the Common Foreign and Security Policy . Its goals are to find a common security culture for the EU, to help develop and project the CFSP, and to enrich Europe’s strategic debate.The EUISS is an autonomous agency with...
- In pictures: Karadzic detained
- Interpol Warrant
Poetry and alternative medicine