Head of UN war crimes tribunal to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina

The head of the United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst war crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s will arrive in Bosnia and Herzegovina today to discuss the country’s participation with the court.

During his three-day visit, President Fausto Pocar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which sits in The Hague, will hold talks with authorities, members of the judiciary and victims’ associations.

Mr. Pocar will also visit the prison in the town of Foca, in the country’s south-east.

The Tribunal is extremely concerned that Radovan Stanković, who escaped from the prison in May 2007, is still at large. He had been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for rape and other crimes against humanity committed in Foca after Bosnia and Herzegovina referred his case to the ICTY.

Meanwhile in New York, the Security Council is meeting today on the challenges the country faces in consolidating peace, progress and stability.