Prosecutor for UN Yugoslav tribunal calls for apprehension of fugitives

On the 12th anniversary of the first indictment against two Bosnian Serb leaders charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, the Prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) today reiterated her call for their apprehension.

The fact that Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadžic remain at large is a “permanent shadow not only on the work of this Tribunal, but also on the international community as a whole,” Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said in a statement.

According to ICTY evidence, the two men were involved in the Srebrenica genocide, where nearly 8,000 men and boys were killed. They are also charged with inflicting terror on civilians during the Sarajevo siege and participated in torture and murders in detention camps.

“The fact that two of the most notorious war crimes indictees are still able to evade justice is simply unacceptable,” Ms. Del Ponte stated.

She characterized their crimes as the worst “known to humanity” and the worst “committed in Europe since World War II.”

Ms. Del Ponte urged Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina – especially the Republika Srpska entity – and Montenegro to expend full effort to locate and arrest Mr. Mladic, Mr. Karadžic and the remaining fugitives.

The Prosecutor also appealed to the international community and “all States who believe in the importance of international justice and the rule of law” to continue their support for the Tribunal.

“We must remain strong and vigilant in our pursuit because this is what we owe to the thousands upon thousands who perished at the hands of Karadžic, Mladic and their subordinates,” she said.